Us, Servants to the Moon
by Purrrin
Summary: An ordinary evening takes an unexpected turn for Jeremy and Tyler, leaving both of them at a loss for causes and what the future might hold. Jeremy/Tyler
1. A Night to Remember

**Us, Servants to the Moon – Chapter 1**

**Author's Note**: I always suspected there was something going on between Jeremy and Tyler, but the last episode totally got me hooked! Now here's my attempt at getting them together. This is only the first chapter, so if you like the story, I'll continue!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters of this story.

* * *

It was lunch break and Jeremy Gilbert was sitting on the ground with his back against the cold and decrepit wall of the school building, all by himself. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't understand.

The schoolyard in front of him was filled with people. Some of them were eating, some of them were talking, some of them were laughing. He couldn't care less. They were just random faces to him. Actually, it had been a while since the last time he cared. Until last night.

From afar he could see his sister Elena and her friend Bonnie among the crowd. Even they were enjoying themselves between classes. There was no one who could know about his misery. No one. Except one.

* * *

"Well, it's no surprise," a red-haired girl said with a grin, "for someone who lives in such a fancy mansion."

"No, it's actually kinda old," Tyler replied. "We already had two pipe bursts this year. But it was a nice experience, too. I didn't have to leave my room when I wanted to take a bath."

The group started laughing and Tyler laughed with them. It was a good feeling. It helped him blowing the cobwebs away. For today, he just wanted to forget. To tell himself that everything had just been a dream. A weird, sick dream.

Still, he knew Jeremy Gilbert was sitting over there, watching him. He avoided looking back at him.

* * *

Tyler had a lot of friends, Jeremy knew. He was surrounded by them right now, laughing and joking around, as if this was just an ordinary day.

It wasn't. Jeremy opened the bottle in his hands and swallowed some of the water. Yes, water. It had been a while since this bottle had last been filled with pure water. He liked the taste of it, today. It was smooth and boring.

The bell rang and Tyler and his friends turned around to return to their classroom. His eyes rested on Jeremy for a second, but then he looked away and took up talking to his friends again.

It didn't hurt Jeremy. Not at all. In fact, he was happy about it. It took his mind off so many questions that were burning inside his chest.

No, he still couldn't understand. That person last night, it hadn't been him. It couldn't have been. He had rung Tyler's doorbell being himself, and hours later stormed out through that same door being someone else.

* * *

"_Gilbert." Tyler's face appeared as the door was opened. "Come in."_

_Jeremy entered and followed Tyler into some long corridor. A few doors were ajar; one of them was leading to Mayor Lockwood's former study._

"_I'm kinda surprised you came," Tyler said over his shoulder._

_Jeremy didn't look back at him, because he was distracted once again by all that old, valuable furniture. "I'm surprised you didn't think I would come," he countered._

_Tyler didn't reply. Instead he opened one of the doors and led Jeremy into a large living room._

_Jeremy noticed that it was not the same room he and Tyler had talked in two days ago, before being interrupted by those girls, Aimee and Sarah. This room seemed to be a place to welcome guests. It was just as fancy as the entire house. An expensive carpet on the floor, dark and heavy furniture all around. The fireplace had been lit, emitting an unsteady, flickering light._

"_You can sit down over here," Tyler said, pointing at the couch in the middle of the room, while he was walking over to the cupboard to take out two glasses and a bottle._

_Jeremy put the bag he had brought along with him down. It contained his sketchbook, even though Tyler had already seen it. Right now, he didn't even know why he had brought it along in the first place, so he decided to just leave it where it was._

_Tyler sat down next to him and put the glasses on the table. "You like some?"_

_

* * *

_

The bell rang a second time and ended Jeremy's thoughts almost painfully abrupt. It was not until now that he realized that his mind had started to go through last night's events once again, like it had already done thousands of times before. He didn't want to think about it anymore, but at the same time, it was what kept him going.

Eventually he put his bottle into his bag, stood up and walked back to his classroom.

* * *

It was math class and the teacher was writing seemingly random numbers on the blackboard. Tyler copied them without even thinking. His mind was somewhere else, living over and over again what he couldn't understand. The classroom was entirely quiet and his friends weren't able to distract him from his thoughts anymore. So in his head he went back to the living room of his home once again, trying to find clues that could help him understand. But there weren't. It had all started so naturally.

* * *

"_And you say the curse is triggered by killing someone?" Jeremy clutched the glass with both his hands, taking a nib from time to time._

_Tyler was sitting sideways on the couch with his right arm on the backrest, facing Jeremy. "I told you, it doesn't seem to matter if it's killing someone willingly or if it's just an accident. When Sarah was falling down the stairs and I…" He shook his head as if to wipe a bad memory off his mind. "You can't imagine how relieved I was when she opened her eyes."_

"_So you don't want the curse to be triggered?"_

_Tyler shifted slightly. "I thought I wanted it to. I kept getting on my uncle's nerves with this all the time and now… I really don't know. I mean, it could happen anytime anyway, right? Accidents do happen."_

_Jeremy nodded slightly._

"_But I really don't wanna hurt anyone, you know? I mean, I couldn't. I couldn't murder someone. And still, it lures me somehow. It's like it's already in my genes. Like a destiny my family is supposed to fulfill. I know they call it a curse, but I still wish for it somehow." He looked back at Jeremy and there was something in the other boy's eyes that made him feel as if he understood him completely._

"_Believe it or not," Jeremy replied. "But I know exactly how you feel."_

"_How's that?" Tyler asked with honest curiosity._

"_Well," Jeremy looked up at him with hesitating eyes. "I also wanted something in the past others' might think of as a curse."_

"_Hm," Tyler took the bottle and filled his own glass once again. He let go of the topic, because he obviously thought Jeremy was talking about drugs; and Jeremy was relieved about that. Even though Tyler had entrusted him with his secret, Jeremy didn't know if he was ready to tell him his own._

_

* * *

_

After school Jeremy saw Tyler and his friends driving away in Mayor Lockwood's car. This time, he was sure, Tyler honestly hadn't noticed him. He wondered what it would be like if they suddenly met each other by chance. Would they greet each other? Would they keep ignoring each other? He couldn't tell, right now. Maybe it would be best for both of them to let the dust settle on this whole thing, before doing anything rash. He needed more time to find an explanation for what had happened.

"Jeremy." It was Bonnie who was suddenly standing next to him. "Are you waiting for Elena?"

"Uhm…" Jeremy was taken by surprise. "Yeah, yeah, actually I am."

"She already left with Stephan, sorry." Bonnie was giving him her 'it's a pity' smile. "I can drive you home if you want me to."

"No, thanks," Jeremy struggled not to be snippy. "I'm fine."

For a moment she looked at him as if she was about to ask him if something was wrong, but then she smiled and turned away. "Alright. I'll see you."

* * *

"I'll see you, Tyler."

"Sure." Tyler waited until his friends had left, then he parked his father's car in the garage. His mother wasn't home yet, he knew, so he entered the house and went to the kitchen to grab something to eat. He wasn't feeling very well somehow, so a quick snack would do, he decided. When he walked back to his room, the door to the living room was ajar. He forced himself to ignore it and simply walk on, but something made him stop. He gently pushed the door open, as if it was forbidden to do so, and took a peek inside.

The fireplace was dark and the room was cold. However, the two glasses were still standing on the table, just like they were last night.

Tyler's eyes stopped at the couch. For a second something inside him stirred and the memory started to get vivid again.

* * *

_The hours flew by and the first time Tyler took a look at the clock he realized that it was already way past midnight. He could have never imagined spending such a good time with Jeremy Gilbert of all people. But everything they had talked about had seemed to flow so naturally, and he realized that he had learned a lot about Jeremy he hadn't known before. They also had quite a few things in common, like sketching and drawing and mountain biking._

_Tyler realized that he was feeling quite comfortable at this very moment, while Jeremy was talking something about techno music, Tyler didn't quite understand. He noticed a funny feeling around his stomach and started wondering if maybe he had drunken a bit too much tonight. However, it was a good feeling and he started laughing quietly for no reason._

"_What's wrong?" Jeremy paused immediately and looked at Tyler almost reproachful. "Am I boring you?"_

"_Not at all." Tyler found it hard to stop laughing. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's gotten into me." He tried to look serious again. "Please go on."_

"_Okay. So what I don't like about techno…" He looked back at Tyler. "I think you had too much booze tonight."_

"_I think you had too much, too, Gilbert," Tyler replied quickly. "Look at your nose, it is glowing like in one of those cartoons."_

_

* * *

_

He had had too much last night, Jeremy admitted. Maybe that was the explanation he was looking for. Noisily he shut the door to his room and lay back on his bed. It simply had to be. Alcohol makes you do strange things. And still, it seemed too easy, too trivial. It might be able to explain some of it, but not this warm, comfortable and absolutely clear feeling he, even now, remembered so well.

Even though he knew he shouldn't, Jeremy closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, as if it allowed him to soak up all those unfamiliar, but pleasurable sensations once again.

* * *

"_No, my nose is not glowing." Jeremy shook his head vehemently. "Stop talking shullbit. Bullshit."_

"_Shullbit, right," Tyler cracked up. "You _had _too much."_

_Maybe Tyler was right, Jeremy thought quietly, but it somehow didn't matter. He was feeling really good and it was a feeling that was different from being drunk. It was the feeling of having a really great time in a place and with a person you hadn't expected. "So what I was talking about, techno," he started once again, "the thing about it is…" He babbled a few more sentences and Tyler was nodding his head attentively, although something seemed to distract his mind and when he looked at Tyler, who was still listening to his drivel, he realized that he had no idea what he was actually talking about. Still, he continued and suddenly something inside him realized how warm the air in this room had already gotten. Cozily warm. _It must be because of the fireplace_, Jeremy thought while babbling on, _it probably emits more warmth than an ordinary heater._ The flames' unsteady light filled the room with a dark red, warm glow. He would tell Jenna to get one of those, too, were his last thoughts before Tyler Lockwood's lips touched his own._

_It felt awkward, yet at the same time rebellious and passionate. Tyler's lips were as warm as the air around them and Jeremy didn't even think of pushing him away. The kiss felt good, in a strange, unfamiliar way. It was somehow the logical consequence of this enjoyable evening, as if to seal the newly forged bond between two people who had more in common than they had initially thought._

_Jeremy could feel a prickle running down his spine. All doubts, all rationality was wiped away for this one moment. He closed his eyes, giving in to this warming sensation, and shifted on the couch, using his weight to push back against Tyler._

_Tyler felt Jeremy starting to kiss him back in a more demanding and fierce way than he had expected. It scared him for a second, but at the same time he decided he liked it. It made the blood rushing through his veins pulse inside his ears. Whatever causes had brought them together here and now, Tyler didn't care. He wanted this. More than anything. _

_Suddenly he felt Jeremy putting his hand against his cheek, cradling it, then running his fingers through his hair. The kissing intensified once again and Tyler could hear Jeremy whispering his name._

"_Tyler…"_

_A boy's voice. Tyler. Tyler Lockwood. The son of Mayor Lockwood was kissing another guy. Jeremy Gilbert, Elena's constantly whining, sissy little brother._

_At this moment, Tyler came to his senses again. Suddenly scared, he snapped his eyes open, grabbed Jeremy's hand and pushed him back forcefully._

_Jeremy could feel his head spin by this unexpected reaction. Insecure he stared back at the other boy._

"_Get your hands off me, Gilbert," Tyler hissed at him, furious._

_Jeremy stared back at him for a while. Tyler could see that his lips were still slightly red from their kiss. He looked confused, disappointed and somehow angry._

_Instantly Jeremy grabbed his bag, stood up and rushed towards the door without saying goodbye._

"_Jeremy, wait," Tyler said in a suddenly regretful tone of voice, but Jeremy was already gone._

_

* * *

_

Tyler was staring at the couch for a while, then he blinked and turned around. He hated those things he had been feeling last night, he hated Jeremy Gilbert's dense mug, his constantly stupid and hypocritically compassionate expression, but most of all, he hated himself for staring at this freaking couch for what seemed like ages. He was the mayor's son, and whatever he was, he was not gay. Never.

He needed to put this crap behind him. His life would go on and something like last night would never happen again.

The door to the living room shut noisily behind him.

* * *

**To be continued…**


	2. The End of the Beginning

**Us, Servants to the Moon – Chapter 2**

**Author's Note**: Hey, everyone, thanks for all your sweet comments on the first chapter! I'm so sorry it took me so long to finish the second one, but I've had so many ideas on the third and fourth chapter that I've actually already started writing them as well xD So I hope I'll be able to update sooner in the future :D Hope you'll enjoy this chapter as well!

* * *

The past week had been unusual sunny for this season. The leaves outside were already brown and golden, still the sun was shining as if it were still summer. It was such a waste to spend those beautiful days down in the school's basement, but Jeremy knew it couldn't be helped. They had found mildew in a few rooms, so most of the books stored there had to be moved somewhere else.

Jeremy was alone, arranging some of the newer books and putting them up on the shelves. There was only a small barren window letting a few faint sunbeams in and even though it was so warm outside, down here in the basement the air was rather cool. He could hear the voices and the cheerful laughter of the other students from outside. Classes were over for today and most of the students were enjoying one of the last warm and sunny days this year.

Jeremy would have enjoyed the sun, too, but since his teacher had asked her students to take shifts with the books, Jeremy decided it couldn't be helped. He preferred being by himself anyway. It gave him time to think and that was what he needed these days. Especially these days.

It had been one week now since he had kissed Tyler Lockwood, or rather _had been kissed by_, but no matter how much he tried to switch from active to passive voice and back again, it didn't change the sentence's message. It was a fact now, an unchangeable memory that would stay with him for as long as he'd live. It had lasted just a few seconds, and still, he had spent so many hours thinking about it since then. More than a week had passed and Jeremy was still at a loss for explanations.

He hadn't talked to Tyler ever since. They had been avoiding each other, but he knew they wouldn't be able to keep this up forever. Sooner or later, they would be facing each other and… what then?

A few kids from the lower grades were running past the window, screaming and giggling with joy.

Jeremy opened the next box filled with books for him to arrange on the shelves. Math and history. He needed to create more space for them.

There was a sound coming from the hallway and Jeremy noticed that it were footsteps. Someone was coming, probably another students supplying him with even more books. The footsteps were quite loud, a bit tramping and definitely self-confident. Jeremy immediately thought of one person who would probably walk that way, but it couldn't be. There were so many students at this school, so why of all people should it be…

But of course, just as Murphy's Law predicted, it was indeed Tyler.

"Chemistry, eighth grade, and biology, seventh grade," he stated as if he was giving an interview to the press. "Where do you want me to put these?"

"Uhm…" Jeremy stood up and looked around the room, acting as if Tyler was just some random student talking to him. "Just put them over there. I'll take a look at them later."

"Okay."

"Thanks." Jeremy decided to get back to his task, until he realized a few moments later that Tyler was still standing there and he was not about to leave. Jeremy turned his head towards him. "Something else?"

"Uhm." Tyler couldn't stop staring, no matter how hard he struggled to. He had spent the last days with his friends or helping his mother, even studying, just so he didn't have to think about that night, when all the things he had taken for granted, had suddenly started to waver. Now, for the first time since then, Tyler looked at Jeremy's face, at his eyes, his skin, his lips. He noticed he remembered every detail, every tiny flaw of the boy's skin, and the memory, that kept fading to blurred shadows, came to life again. He looked at Jeremy and now, he knew what it felt like to be close to him, to touch those lips and feel the warmth of his skin radiating against his own. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't stop staring.

Jeremy stood up. He started to wonder why Tyler was looking at him with that weird gaze in his eyes, but at the same time, it freaked him out. He needed to be alone, not just alone from Tyler but from everyone – _especially _Tyler. What he had felt that night had not been normal. It had been alien, unfamiliar… and still, pleasant. Tyler's presence made him remember, but for now he didn't want to. It would only make things worse. "You can go now," he said rather demanding than asking. "I think the football team's already started practice, so unless you wanna miss it..."

"Don't care," Tyler replied nonchalantly. "I won't be going to practice anymore. I'll be playing for the other team next year."

"Oh really?" Jeremy shifted from one foot to the other, his expression full of fake curiosity. "That's funny, because I thought you already were." The words came out more insulting than he had intended. All he wanted was for Tyler to leave, and so he had decided to push him away a bit, but right now, he realized that he had probably gone too far.

Tyler's expression became more serious as he started considering if Jeremy had really meant what Tyler thought he had. "Wait…"

"Whoa," Jeremy lifted his hands. "No offense."

"What is your problem, Gilbert?" Tyler came towards him. The dimly lit room made his eyes look even darker than they usually did.

Jeremy could feel himself switching from defensive to offensive. "Well, let me think of it. Right now, I guess my problem would be you."

Tyler didn't reply, instead he kept coming closer and suddenly he pushed Jeremy away.

Jeremy tumbled back for a second, then, however he turned around and pushed Tyler away himself. "No surprise Vicky was looking for other guys," he hissed, angered. "A guy like you obviously couldn't give it to her right."

Before Jeremy could do anything about it, Tyler grabbed his collar and threw him at the wall. "What was that?"

"You heard me, alright." Jeremy was staring back at him with defying eyes. For the first time since that night they were close again now. Jeremy could feel Tyler's unsteady breath against his face, and it made his memories of that night so much more vivid. There had been this feeling between them, an unfamiliar and at the same time intoxicating warmth… Now, they were just as close as back then, but this room was cold and dark, and the feeling between them right now was aggression, maybe even loathing. Still, looking at those eyes made Jeremy remember and that inner conflict hurt him so much. "So, what are you gonna do now, Lockwood, huh?" he started, almost mockingly, "kiss me again?"

Tyler stared back at him for a second. His heart was racing with anger and confusion. Even though that one word had crossed his mind so many times since that night, this was the first time someone actually said it and it was way worse hearing it than just thinking of it. _Kiss_. The worst thing, however, was, that he felt he actually wanted to. He was so close to Jeremy and he could feel the urge inside his heart to repeat the kiss from that night. Yet, at the same time, he could feel nothing but disdain for the boy in front of him. There had never been a boy in his life he had felt more anger towards, more aggression and more hatred. When he had been with Vicky, the mere sight of Jeremy Gilbert would make his skin crawl in rage. So how could they have come to this? What the hell was wrong with him?

They stared at each other like this for what seemed like minutes and somehow Tyler got the impression that Jeremy was fighting the same struggle inside him as he was himself. He felt that if he really tried to kiss Jeremy right now, the other boy wouldn't resist a second.

But then Tyler raised his fist instead and punched Jeremy in the face. "You're the one who started this," he threw after Jeremy, who was stumbling away from him. "I'm not like you, Gilbert. I'm not gay."

Jeremy turned around and Tyler could see that he was bleeding slightly from his nose. That look in his eyes, however, made him feel secure. It was that one look he knew so well, that look Jeremy had given him so many times when they had been just like this, fighting to the bitter end for Vicky Donovan's affection.

It was just too easy to remember those feelings of hate and animosity and it felt so much better then affection and confusion, because it made their world simple, familiar. So they both gave in.

"Like hell you are," Jeremy snapped back, wiping the blood away with the sleeve of his pullover. "You were the one who kissed me, not the other way around. I'm not gay, you are!" He clenched his fist and came towards Tyler, trying to hit the other boy back.

Tyler however got hold of Jeremy's wrist first, pushing him aside and kicking his legs. "I know I'm not gay," he snarled. "But what I felt from you, felt pretty gay. You had your hands all over my face! I'm sure everybody will be thrilled to know that Jeremy Gilbert is a sexually repressed fag."

The words hit Jeremy harder than any punch could ever do. Right now, however, he was too agitated to actually feel sad. "I will kill you, Lockwood," he threatened and there was an anger glowing in his eyes that told Tyler he actually meant what he said. Without warning, Jeremy threw himself against him, grabbing his collar and hitting him in the face several times.

Tyler pushed him back as soon as he got the chance to and was just about to go after him, when the door suddenly flung open and Mrs. Hayman, a seventh grade teacher, threw herself between them without hesitation.

"Have you lost your mind?" she yelled as she tried to separate the fighting boys. "Stop it!"

Tyler and Jeremy were both bleeding, still they kept glaring at each other as if they were ready to go at each other's throats anytime again.

Mrs. Hayman looked at them and sighed. "Gilbert and Lockwood, once again. Why am I not surprised?" She shook her head. "Is there a new girl around?"

Neither of them replied.

"I tell you, boys, this has to stop." She looked at each one of them intensely. "If I ever catch you again, I'll talk to the principle."

Tyler stared back at her, then he turned around and left the room without saying a word.

* * *

Tyler couldn't help feeling miserable when he cleaned his face over the sink. He looked up and saw his face reflected in the mirror, dripping wet and… miserable. That wasn't him, not really. He had been in a fight with Jeremy so many times that he had lost count of it, and even though this time had not been any different from all those times before, the mere thought of it made him want to cry. Why did he feel so bad about it? Why did it hurt so much being accused of being gay by Jeremy Gilbert, when he knew for a fact that he wasn't? He couldn't explain what had happened that night or why he would have ever felt the urge to _kiss_ Jeremy Gilbert, of all people, but thinking of it all the time wouldn't help either. He needed to put this behind him, to finally forget about it.

He put his face under the tap again, water cooling down the bruises on his skin. It felt good. He knew that he would have to talk to Jeremy one last time to put this whole mess straight. It was the only way for him to finally move on.

* * *

It was evening when Jeremy left the school building. He thought of his sister Elena. She had been so pissed yesterday when he had returned home with all those bruises on his face. He hadn't known how to explain his fight with Tyler to her, because she knew everything about their quarrel over Vicky and she knew Vicky was gone. So he hadn't replied anything, watching her getting angrier and angrier. He wondered if she would have already calmed down by tonight, when suddenly a car stopped right in front of him.

The window on the passenger's side went down and Jeremy could see that it was Tyler sitting behind the steering wheel. "Want me to drive you home?"

Jeremy could guess what this was about. This would be the moment when they were supposed to clear the air and he had actually waited for it. He didn't want his life to continue like that and so he was glad that they finally got the chance to talk about it. "Okay," he said and got in the car.

* * *

It was an awkward situation, being trapped so close to each other inside the narrow car, but fortunately the radio was playing some music, so at least they didn't have to fight the silence.

"You know, Jeremy," Tyler finally started and to his surprise, it was easier than he had imagined. Even though he hadn't even said yet what he wanted to say, he felt a fair amount of relief, as if he was about to clear up a huge problem that had been bugging him for years. "About that night." He took a breath and threw a quick glance at Jeremy. "I wanna be honest with you."

The look on Jeremy's face didn't reveal anything about what he was feeling right now. "Okay?"

Tyler put his eyes back on the road. "Look, I have no idea how that happened, seriously. I've been thinking a lot about the reasons and honestly, man," he shook his head, "I'm not into guys. I'm not gay."

"Bisexual," Jeremy corrected.

"Ah… what?" Tyler was surprised. He had planned his speech so carefully and he hadn't expected Jeremy to interrupt him.

"Bisexual," Jeremy repeated. "Not gay."

"What are you talking about?"

"Bisexuality is when you're attracted to both men and women."

"Yeah, thanks, I know what bisexuality is, Gilbert," Tyler snarled. "I am not bisexual or gay or anything else, okay? I've never had a fantasy about a dude or something. So I guess…" Suddenly, he paused, throwing an inquiring glance at Jeremy. "Wait, so _you_ are…"

"No!" Jeremy stated, harsher than he had intended to and he feared it might have sounded as if he was trying to deny a fact that was obviously true. It wasn't. So he added with an absurd chuckle, "no, of course I'm not."

"Well, if you say so," Tyler said after a short while. "Anyway, I'm sorry for what happened. I guess it was just the alcohol."

"Yeah, I'm sorry, too, if I gave you the wrong impression."

The car turned around the corner and Jeremy could see their house coming into sight. The streets were almost empty. Most of the neighbors were probably still at work.

"Alright," Jeremy said, trying to initiate the farewell.

"Yeah," Tyler nodded, stopping the car in front of Jenna's house. "I'm glad we were able to sort this thing out."

"Yeah, me too." Jeremy tried to fake an insecure smile. "So, thanks for driving me home."

"Sure." The look in Tyler's eyes was telling Jeremy that he couldn't wait to get him out of his car. "Anytime."

So Jeremy got out, bowing down to wave at Tyler before slamming the door shut. He knew that _anytime_ meant _never again_ and it took him a second to realize that this was the end of this short, unlikely, confusing, yet at the same time touching relationship that could have turned into a precious friendship. Still, it had been prevented by something they couldn't explain, something that scared them both equally, even if they would have never admitted it. It didn't matter anymore right now, Jeremy knew. They wouldn't talk to each other ever again, going on with their lives as if nothing had ever happened. He was sure of it.

Right now, however, Jeremy couldn't have known yet that this had, in fact, just been the beginning.

* * *

**To be continued…**


	3. On a Full Moon Night

**Us, Servants to the Moon – Chapter 3**

**Author's Note**: I'm so sorry for the long delay… I'm such a slow writer xD But here it is, finally, the third chapter! Please enjoy and get ready for some action in chapter 4!

* * *

It had been raining all afternoon. Tyler Lockwood was sitting at the desk in his room. It was a cold, foggy fall day. He had the lights on, even though it was merely 3.p.m.

From the gateway outside the house he could hear the sound of his mother's car arriving. A few minutes later her footsteps resounded from the hall. Tyler put the pencil down and stared at the sheet of paper lying in front of him for a moment.

"I'm home, Tyler," his mother called.

"Yeah, I heard the car," he replied before turning his attention back to the drawing. He didn't like it, even though he couldn't tell exactly _what_ he didn't like about it. It was simply bad. Tyler sighed and stood up again. He felt discouraged. When he had gotten home from school today, this idea had been stuck on his mind to start drawing again. It had been like a need that had to be fulfilled or he would never find peace again. However, right now he regretted it. It had been such a waste of time.

The doorbell rang and, for a second, Tyler was even happy about it.

"I'll open," he shouted and went down the stairs. There was a tall, dark figure standing in front of the door, but Tyler couldn't tell who it was. So he opened – and froze.

He had finally managed to forget all about Jeremy Gilbert, to put those thoughts circling his mind over and over again at rest, and there he was, as real as he was in his memories.

"Hey," Jeremy said and there was this look on his face that Tyler couldn't read.

It took him a moment to regain his compose. "Gilbert," he said and there was annoyance in voice, "what do you want? I'd actually thought we had cleared this situation."

"We have," Jeremy agreed. "But that's not why I'm here. Can I come in?"

"No!" The reply came out harsher than Tyler had intended. He could see Jeremy backing away slightly. "I mean, _what_ do you want?"

Jeremy pursed his lips, leaning in closer. "It's about the wolf thing," he said in a lower tone of voice. "I think I may know something that you should know, too."

Tyler threw a glance over his shoulder into the house as if to make sure his mother wasn't around, then he looked back at Jeremy. Uneasiness started to settle on his mind. He didn't want to invite Jeremy in, really, it was the last thing he wanted. This whole situation was just all too similar compared to the last time Jeremy had visited him, and that had resulted in probably the most confusing and painful weeks of his life. He had no intention of repeating that ever again.

Jeremy seemed to know the reason for Tyler's hesitation. "Look, I know the last time you invited me in had been a mess, but if we just ignore the way that evening had ended for a second, you have to admit that the rest wasn't all that bad. Maybe we should just forget about this tiny mistake already and start over again. You opened that door for me back then and now you're opening again. Let's just forget everything that had happened in between. Please."

Tyler was still reluctant, however, finally he gave in and took a step back so that Jeremy could enter.

He then led him into a room that was entirely different from the room they had been in the last time. It looked like some sort of dining room, with a table and a few chairs on a carpet in the middle. There was no fireplace in here, no couch, no warmth. It was rather cool and Jeremy decided to keep his jacket on.

Tyler offered him to sit down and went towards a cupboard taking out two glasses and a bottle. When he put it on the table, Jeremy noticed that it was a bottle of mineral water.

Tyler filled the glasses and sat down on the opposite side of the table.

Everything he did was so blatantly different from the last time that Jeremy couldn't help but be actually a little bit amused by it.

"So what is it that you want me to know?" Tyler asked and looked at Jeremy skeptically.

Jeremy didn't reply. Instead he took the ring from his finger and put it on the table.

"Weird," Tyler said, starting to feel even more uneasy than before.

"This is the solution to your problem," Jeremy explained and his eyes were starting to shine with excitement.

Tyler looked back at him. "A ring, Frodo?"

"With the help of this ring, you can become a werewolf." Jeremy leaned back, watching Tyler's reaction to that – in his opinion – revelation.

"I don't wanna become a werewolf." Tyler shook his head. "I want nothing to do with this curse."

"Yeah, because you think that it implies killing someone, I understand. But what if you could trigger it without having to kill someone?"

"That's not possible."

"It is." Jeremy put the ring back on his finger. "This ring protects me from any supernatural being. I can't die as long as I wear it."

Tyler's eyes became darker as he frowned with anger. Jeremy was making fun of him. "Go home, Jeremy."

"But it's true," Jeremy defended. "When you told me about that werewolf stuff, I believed you without asking any questions. You could at least try to put the same confidence in me."

"That has nothing to do with confidence. I mean, if a ring like that existed, why should you, of all people, have it?"

"My uncle gave it to me," Jeremy explained, "he used it to protect himself from supernatural creatures."

Tyler shook his head. "Even if it was true – and that is a big if – I'm not a supernatural being. If I kill you, the curse will be triggered. And you'll stay dead."

"Yeah, but that is where the full moon comes into play. If you kill me on a full moon, and I wear this ring, then killing me will make you a werewolf instantly. The ring however takes a few minutes until it revives its owner. That means, that by the time I'll be revived, you'll be werewolf, making you a supernatural being and bringing me back to life. Case closed." Jeremy looked at Tyler with pride. "So what do you say?"

"What do I say?" Tyler snorted. "I mean, this is insane."

"Tyler," Jeremy started once again, but Tyler cut him off.

"I'm not taking the risk that your uncle told you stories about that ring."

"I know it works," Jeremy insisted. "I've already used it."

"What?" Tyler started to laugh. "You were killed by a supernatural being? What was it? A goblin or a little fairy?"

"It was a vampire," Jeremy snapped back. "And I'm not making this up."

"There is no such thing as vampires," Tyler said with emphasis on his words.

Jeremy shrugged and turned his head. "There is no such thing as werewolves." He crossed his arms in front of his chest like a business man who was starting to get impatient. "So what do you say? Yes or no? It'll work, I guarantee it." As a matter of fact, Jeremy wasn't sure in the slightest. He had no proof that Tyler's transformation would trigger the ring's magic retroactively, but – if he was totally honest – he didn't care. He wanted to be special somehow, and if he couldn't manage to be, then he wouldn't mind being dead either.

"I still don't understand…" Tyler moved on his chair. "I mean why would you take such a risk just to help me trigger the curse?"

Jeremy shrugged. "Because I'm a nice guy?"

Tyler didn't seem convinced.

"There isn't really a risk, Tyler," Jeremy lied once again. "I already experienced what it feels like to die. I want to feel it again, the thrill."

"The thrill of dying?" Tyler shook his head. "Then again, you've always been kind of an emo kid."

"Leave my pleasures to me," Jeremy replied. He was alright with Tyler thinking that this kick was his reason for helping him. The truth was, however, the same reason he had started bonding with Tyler in the first place – his undying wish to be special, to be of worth to someone. He couldn't bear the thought of Elena being involved with vampires and immortality, while he was being left out. If Tyler turned into a werewolf – and moreover, by his hands – then he would be the link between Elena and the vampires and the werewolf. He would be of use, he would be needed. Finally. However, telling Tyler would be of little use for achieving this goal, so Jeremy crossed his arms in front of his chest and waited for Tyler's reaction.

Tyler stared back at Jeremy. There was something the other boy was not telling him, Tyler knew, but there was no way of finding out either. Triggering the curse had never been an option for him, but then again, it was as Jeremy had said, he had made that decision believing he would really have to end someone's life. Now, if what Jeremy had just told him was really true, then he could become a werewolf without losing his integrity, and there was no way denying that his curiosity lured him more than anything. It would make him special, it would make his life exciting and extraordinary. He could have that, now. He looked up and his eyes met Jeremy's. "If you promise that this ring of yours will work one-hundred percent?"

Jeremy lifted his eyebrows in relief. "One-hundred percent." He bent over the table conspiratorially, his fingers starting to play with the ring in his hands. "So here's the plan. The next full moon is on Saturday. My aunt and my sister are gone over the weekend, so I got the entire house to myself. That's when we'll do it. I hope you got a gun, because I'd rather not be stabbed with a knife. Nothing painful, nothing dirty."

"My father had a gun," Tyler said, even though he was still struggling to understand what he had gotten himself into. "Though I'm not sure if being shot is not painful."

"I'll tell you when I find out," Jeremy simply replied, struggling not to let his excitement show.

* * *

The full moon had risen high up in the sky when Tyler Lockwood climbed the stairs to Jeremy's house and rang the doorbell. For some reason he was shaking, and he was hoping it was because of the chilling fall night and not because he was afraid. It was only nine p.m., and he still had a lot of time to change his mind, if he felt he needed to.

Jeremy opened the door and offered him to enter. They didn't speak a word as Jeremy led him up the stairs.

Living in a house like Jeremy and his family's seemed to be so much more comfortable and cozy than living in a house like his own, that was rather a museum than a real home. Tyler followed the other boy up the stairs and along the corridor. It wasn't all tidy, definitely not. There was a notebook on the floor, next to it a blue pen. A small trunk in the corner was covered with several shirts and pants.

Among the photos on the wall there was one picture that caught Tyler's attention. He stopped and looked at it closely. It was a portrait of Elena Gilbert, Jeremy's sister. She was wearing a beautiful necklace and a ribbon in her hair. What made the picture special, however, was, that it was not a photo, but a detailed pencil drawing. Its precise lines and careful applied shadows made Tyler stop in admiration for a while.

"Ah, that one." Jeremy had obviously noticed that Tyler hadn't been following anymore and turned around.

"Did you draw that?" Tyler didn't take his eyes off the picture.

"Yeah, it was actually a present I gave my sister for her birthday, I guess three years ago."

Tyler waited a second. "It's brilliant." The words were hard for Tyler to admit. All drawings he had ever seen of Jeremy Gilbert were the werewolf ones, and they had been dark and blurred. Now he felt himself confronted with real skill and that made his own drawings seem like immature children's doodle.

"You think so? I dunno…" Jeremy came closer to look at the picture, as if he had already forgotten about its details.

"Yeah, I do, I mean, the shades, the expression on her face… You're so much better than me."

"I was actually using a real photo in order to get her expression and stuff right, so it wasn't that difficult. Look, over here, there are a few flaws at her hair and in the background…" Jeremy pointed at the drawing and by doing so, he moved his hand past Tyler's head.

The unexpected movement so close to his head made Tyler turn around instinctively and he startled as his eyes met Jeremy's and the world stopped for a second.

There was sudden warmth in the air around them, as emitted from a fireplace, and Jeremy stared back at Tyler. He was so close to him that he could hear the sound of his breath and almost feel the electricity of his presence, invisible to all eyes, like the force of a magnetic field, but definitely there.

The awkward moment seemed to last forever, both of them unsure what to do now, how to react, how to retreat. Only inches were keeping them from repeating what was to be forgotten, and Jeremy thought to read in Tyler's eyes that he was not the only one who could feel the temptation. Only one more time, to find out if the memory of what it had felt like was really true to what it _had_ felt like. There was no one around, no one would ever find out…

"I guess," Tyler turned away and the moment was gone, "I'll have to try a realistic drawing someday, too."

"Yeah," Jeremy replied, still dizzy from what he had felt and thought not even a second ago, "you should."

* * *

Entering someone's room was always an intimate act, but Tyler wouldn't have minded at all, if it hadn't been for this awkward moment a few seconds ago. He had brought himself to think of Jeremy as an ordinary guy, a friend maybe, and they had agreed on forgetting that entire mess that had unfolded from a simple ringing at the Lockwoods' door.

"Nice room," Tyler said, because he decided that these were the words he always said on entering a friend's room. The furnishing was kind of ordinary, but he felt he liked it, and when Jeremy went over to open the window, Tyler suddenly found enough air to breathe again. It calmed him quickly and this whole incident in front of Elena's picture suddenly seemed almost ridiculous to him. That's why he found it easy to distract his mind and concentrate on their mission. "So this is the place, huh?"

"Yeah…" Jeremy seemed busy doing the same. He gesticulated over the bed. "We'll need something to protect the sheets and the mattress. I don't have enough time to do my laundry until Jenna and Elena return…" he murmured, as if he was just thinking aloud.

"We'll think of something," Tyler said and noticed the light of the moon falling through the window into Jeremy's room. "We still got more than plenty of time."

* * *

They eventually decided to cover Jeremy's bed with plastic wrap and about one hour later, they ordered pizza and spent the evening in the living room, playing videogames. It seemed so strange to pass away the time in front of the television, but then again, triggering the curse all too soon before sunrise would be nothing but irresponsible. After all, Tyler was only supposed to trigger the curse, not to stray around in animal shape for hours, unprepared.

The racing game filled the room with sounds of squealing tires and engines reving up.

"I always wanted to have a PlayStation, too," Tyler said all of a sudden after a while. "Never got one."

Jeremy looked at him, a little confused, but Tyler kept his eyes straight at the screen.

"Come to think of it, I never got anything I wanted, as soon as I said that I did. My father thought that it was his duty to teach me that you can't always get what you want instantly." The smile that curved his lips seemed in stark contrast to his words. It made Jeremy feel sad for him. "I remember it too well: at elementary school there was a time when all of my friends had a pet at home and I wanted one as well so badly… I kept begging my parents to get my a dog, then I went on from cat and rabbit to hamster, and in the end I would have been happy just to get a goldfish, but –" He shook his head and shrugged, "the goldfish bowl in my room is still empty." He threw a glance at Jeremy, who was staring back at him as if he had told a horror story, and seeing that expression on Jeremy's face, Tyler couldn't help but grin. "Hey, it's okay. Don't look at me like that. You're driving against a wall, by the way."

Jeremy blinked and took the controller back into his hands. "I'm sorry to hear that. Makes me realize how good our parents had been to me and Elena. It must have been hard for you with him all your life… I'm sorry, I can't imagine how you must have felt all this time."

Tyler pursed his lips. "Yeah, I'm still alive. I'm not some whiney girl, even if I just sounded like that."

"You're definitely not," Jeremy replied with an encouraging grin on his face, focusing his attention back to the screen.

Tyler, however, turned his head to look at Jeremy. There was something odd about this entire situation. When he thought about it, he didn't know why he had started talking about that stuff in the first place, as if Jeremy was a close friend or something. He wasn't, and still Tyler felt comfortable the way they were right now, even if there had been so many fights and even a kiss in the past, even if there would be a murder in the future, but right now, right here, they were just sitting on the couch, eating pizza and playing video games like any other ordinary friends would do, and he realized that he was feeling entirely relaxed right now. What was it about their crazy relationship that made him feel like that? Even with him struggling against it, his eyes suddenly started to wander up to Jeremy's eyes, then down again, across his skin and along his arms. They had agreed to start over again from zero, but fact was, they weren't…

Jeremy, who hadn't noticed that Tyler was looking at him, laughed, "Now _you're_ driving against the wall."

Tyler, however, put the controller down and turned to Jeremy. "Why are you doing this, Jeremy?" he asked quietly, his expression all serious. "Why?"

Jeremy's face flinched for a second, subtle and almost unnoticeable, and then he replied with the same honesty, "Same reason as you, I guess. Because it'll make me feel special."

* * *

"Twenty-two minutes till sunrise." Jeremy looked at his watch. "Now or never, I guess."

Tyler kept staring at his father's gun in his hands. The metal felt unfamiliar, cool and heavy. It made him realize how unreal this entire plan felt to him, crazy, dangerous.

He heard the plastic wrap rustle and when he turned his head, Jeremy was lying on his bed with his eyes closed, as if he was meditating or praying before he'd take his final breath.

For one second the idea crossed Tyler's mind to just shoot the gun before Jeremy could realize what had happened, in order to spare him the anxiety, but then he realized he couldn't. He wasn't sure if he could do this at all. He didn't want to kill anyone – that was the fact that had brought him here in the first place! Now, _not killing anyone_ implied killing Jeremy Gilbert of all people, that strange boy he had always considered as his worst nemesis. Still, even though there had been a time when he would have actually enjoyed if anything had happened to Jeremy, that wasn't the case anymore. No matter what Jeremy's reasons for this really were, he was doing it for Tyler and he knew he should be grateful for it.

Slowly he moved closer to the bed, until he was standing right next to it, and placed the gun barrel against Jeremy's forehead. "Hey," he said and he couldn't tell why he was whispering all of a sudden, "in case you don't wake up again…" His throat was dry. "To be honest, I really enjoyed that night at my house, the one we decided to forget. And I mean–," a pause, "_all of it_."

Jeremy opened his eyes and looked up at Tyler one last time, his eyes suddenly full of compassion and maybe even a tiny bit of regret. "Yeah," he replied to his own surprise without hesitation, as if these were the words he had waited for all along. "Me too. And I mean, _all of it_."

There was a gunshot – and silence returned to the room.

* * *

**To be continued…**


	4. A Golden Sunrise

**Us, Servants to the Moon – Chapter 4**

**Author's Note**: I'm in such a good writing mood these days! So here's the fourth chapter, the resolution to last chapter's cliffhanger. Hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Jeremy Gilbert came back to life with a choking gasp, like a drowning person who managed to reach the surface just in time. The ring had torn him back into the world of the living once again, and honestly, this time against his expectations.

It took him a while until the dizziness had left his head and his sight became clear again. The first thing he felt was moistness at the back of his head. With a cough, he managed to sit up, suddenly realizing that he was still breathing hard. The room around him was empty and silent, the windows still wide open, an icy chill playing with the curtains.

"Tyler?" Jeremy whispered into the silence, but of course, there was no reply. For a second, Jeremy started to wonder if their little plan had worked out, if Tyler was a werewolf right now, but then he realized that Tyler _had_ to be, otherwise Jeremy would have stayed dead in the first place.

Eventually, Jeremy felt himself calming down, his breath becoming quieter and more balanced with every passing minute. Slowly he lifted his hand to his forehead, touching the spot where Tyler had placed the gun and shot him. There was no injury. On the bed, however – he realized as he turned around – there was a rather wide pool of blood, liquid, that had been collected by the plastic wrap. Instinctively, Jeremy touched the back of his head, noticing that his hair and the collar of his pullover were soaked with blood as well.

The alarm clock on the bedside table was displaying 7:22 in bright red letters. He had been out cold for roughly four minutes. Still a quarter left until sunrise.

Clumsily he slid off the bed and started removing the plastic wrap together with the blood. He was relieved as soon as he had made sure the mattress as well as the sheets were clean and had not taken any damage. Quickly, he went downstairs to throw the plastic wrap away and then back into the bathroom to clean his pullover and wash his hair. When he felt the cool water running along his head, he started wondering where Tyler was right now for the first time. Was he alright? Had he left through the window? What had he felt transforming into a wolf? And what did it feel like being one?

After a few minutes he went back to his room and looked out of the window. The morning had already started dawning and even though the sun had not risen yet, the blackness of the night was gone. Jeremy listened to the morning silence for a moment and shook his head when he realized that he was inwardly hoping to hear a wolf's howl in the distance. No, his part in this little play was over now, he had to admit with regret. From now on, Tyler would be the protagonist, the one to experience all the adventures, while Jeremy would be forced to sit at home and be bored. He wasn't of need to Tyler anymore, now that Tyler had what he wanted. So, starting today, he would have to focus on the vampires to finally be involved in some action.

Three minutes until sunrise.

Jeremy turned around and slid under the blanket of his bed. There was nothing he could do anymore, so he might just as well get some sleep.

* * *

A heavy, hollow sound nearby made Jeremy tear his eyes open again in horror several moments later. He stopped breathing for a second as he stared at a huge dark creature that was standing just in front of the window. He sat up, eyes sill wide open, until he realized that it was a dark brown wolf – it was Tyler.

Jeremy breathed out slowly. The huge, dangerous looking animal so close to him scared him, and still, he tried to convince himself that he had already spent the entire night playing videogames with that same being, no matter how different he might look right now.

"Tyler?" Jeremy said quietly, warily, because he wasn't sure to what extent Tyler was aware of himself and to what extent he was just a bloodthirsty animal.

The wolf looked back at him for a while, then, seconds later, he came towards Jeremy, jumping onto the bed with graceful easiness.

Jeremy winced at the animal's sudden movement, but forced himself to stay calm, even as the wolf's weight pushed the mattress on its side down.

Jeremy swallowed, but as the wolf did nothing more except sit there and look at him, he started to become more confident. Besides, if Tyler was not aware of himself, then why would a random animal break into to Jeremy's room on this very morning?

Slowly and very carefully, Jeremy reached out his hand towards the wolf. He was trembling with fear but still, somehow he felt excited. The wolf didn't move as Jeremy's hand touched it, carefully stroking the soft bushy fur. "Wow…" Jeremy was overwhelmed. "It worked… It really worked…" He let his hand run along the wolf's back and along its side, the structure of its fur so real against Jeremy's hand. "This is amazing…"

The wolf blinked and unexpectedly, the animal jumped towards him, pushing Jeremy down like an overexcited dog, happy to see its master.

Jeremy started laughing as he fell back against the cushion, "you're happy, too, huh," he teased, "that it worked? Who would have thought it actually would."

He looked up again and his laugh stuck in his throat.

Golden sunbeams fell over the horizon, streaming into Jeremy's room, blinding him for a second, but Jeremy had already noticed that the creature above him was not a wolf anymore, but a real human being. He was looking right into Tyler Lockwood's eyes, his dark, deep eyes with the narrow eyebrows, that always made him look slightly grim. Jeremy realized that it was the part he liked most about Tyler's face, the part that made him look special and also beautiful in a strange, noble way.

The sunrise had turned the wolf back into a boy, who was now lying there, naked and trembling.

There was a wolfish glow in Tyler's eyes and Jeremy knew that he hadn't regained his full consciousness yet. It made him look alien, dangerous and wild. Jeremy couldn't help it. He lifted his hand to touch Tyler's bare back. His skin felt warm, almost hot and at the same time soft and… so very much alive, moving slightly with every breath he took.

Tyler's unsteady breath was stroking over Jeremy's face irregularly. He was looking down at him with those yellow glowing eyes, and no matter how hard Jeremy tried, he wasn't able to read him. The skin underneath his hand moved again, making his palm prickle in an unfamiliar way.

Jeremy felt his mind drifting away for a second. Whatever it meant, he wanted this. Now. Gay, straight or bi, friend, rival or lover, these were all just words to him right now, words, that failed to describe what he was feeling at this very moment.

So he put all rationality aside and supported himself with his elbows just enough to lift his shoulders, until he reached Tyler's lips with his own.

It was a gentle kiss, slow, sweet and savoring, their lips almost not touching at all, as if they feared it would be a sensation too precious to actually enjoy.

Jeremy closed his eyes. He had fought this so hard.

Unexpectedly, Tyler intensified the kiss, pushing Jeremy back onto the mattress. There was a desperate longing in his kiss now, a wolfish hunger, that seemed to have been buried away forever and was now being unleashed for the first time.

The harshness scared Jeremy a bit at first, although, just an instant later, he felt himself being carried away by the moment. He tried to suppress a smirk as he grabbed Tyler's hair and kissed him back with all he had. For a second he opened his eyes again, blinking against the sunrise, and somehow he got the impression that the golden sunlight made the room around them shine.

* * *

Hours later, Jeremy slowly opened his eyes. The midday sun was filling the room with dull, gray light. The contours of their surroundings were now as clear as his mind had become again. The numbness was gone, so was all the magic, all the passion.

Instead, a fresh cool air was filling the room because the window was still open and Jeremy knew that Tyler Lockwood was lying next to him.

For a second, the memory of all that had happened started to choke him. He had slept with another guy, and not just some random faceless guy he would never have to see again in his life. It was Tyler Lockwood, a person with a name, a history, a family, a home. He was a friend. A foe. The guy who had slept with Vicky Donovan. The one who had treated her so badly. The one who had almost twice broken Jeremy's nose. That weird, self-absorbed and arrogant dick…

Jeremy breathed out slowly and anger almost managed to put tears into his eyes. He felt sick just thinking of the things they had done this morning, memories that can't ever be taken back. He would have to live with them all his life.

Slowly, carefully, he turned his head, praying that he would be alone, but no, there he was. Tyler. An oppressive feeling started weighing on his mind and still, as soon as his eyes touched the other boy, that warm, caring feeling returned and his heart beat faster for a short moment. He could feel the inner conflict, and it seemed to tear him apart.

The same moment, however, Jeremy realized that Tyler was just as awake as he was himself.

The other boy turned his head towards him and for the first time since, they looked each other in the eyes. "Hey," Tyler whispered quietly, an unreadable look on his face.

"Hey," Jeremy replied warily.

"Are you feeling embarrassed?" Tyler asked.

"Well," Jeremy pursed his lips, surprised by this question, "it's kinda hard not to be."

"Tell me about it." Tyler snorted, then he rolled on his back, staring at the ceiling. "This is kind of an awkward situation right now."

"Tell _me_ about it," Jeremy replied, forcing himself to look away.

They stayed like this for a few moments. No one knew what to say.

Eventually Tyler sighed. "So I guess you were right after all. About the gay stuff."

"Bisexual," Jeremy corrected slowly, almost to himself, as if this was able to change their situation.

"You're not helping." Tyler shook his head. "It's so weird, I mean I transformed into a wolf last night, a real supernatural being, and still, all I can think about is… _this_. As if the wolf thing was just some random, every day event. It was what this whole crap was supposed to be about… And not about… I pictured this entire thing kind of differently."

"You're not the only one, there."

They were lying on their backs next to each other, staring at the ceiling and trying to realize what had just happened. It was the most embarrassing moment in their lives for both of them. They were both naked, trying to hide from each other underneath the blanket and still, it wasn't only the physical vulnerability that made them suffer.

"If anyone finds out about this…" Tyler said after a while, covering his eyes with his arm. "My mother, my friends… the entire town… I don't even wanna think about it. They'll point at me behind my back and say, 'look at the mayor's son…he's the one, who…'"

"Or if Elena or Jenna knew," Jeremy replied. "They would never treat me the same again… If they ever find out about this…" He closed his eyes for a minute, then he shook his head as if to get rid of a terrible nightmare. "Doesn't matter if we want it or not," he turned his head to Tyler, "we're in this mess together. We need to be able to trust each other."

"Yeah, well, I certainly am the last person to gossip about this." Tyler looked at Jeremy for a moment with that troubled yet at the same time almost cunning expression in his eyes, that Jeremy couldn't help feeling drawn to him again.

"So we're keeping this a secret?" Tyler asked to reassure himself. "I mean, we're both holding something over the other's head, so…"

"Yeah, well, if you keep your mouth shut, then I will do so too."

"Okay."

"Good. Well now I suggest we finally get out of this damn bed. It's driving me crazy." Jeremy grabbed the blanket, sliding towards the edge, until he stopped and turned his head towards Tyler. "Uhm…"

"Yeah, I get it," Tyler replied, pulling the blanket over his head. "Believe me, I'm definitely not keen on seeing anything ever again."

Hearing that, Jeremy felt a faint grin curving his lips. Their situation was such a mess, and still… there was something endearing about the way Tyler had said that, and honestly, Jeremy couldn't agree more.

"Okay," Jeremy said as soon as he was dressed, "I'll just be in the kitchen, get us something to eat, and as soon as you're ready-"

"Jeremy, wait."

"What?"

"I _can't_ get up."

"Meaning?"

Tyler looked around the room sheepishly. "Did you see that wolf wearing any pants?"

"Oh…" Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Where are your clothes?"

"No idea," Tyler replied. "Must have lost them somewhere in the woods."

"Great." Jeremy sighed rolling his eyes. "Okay, wait…" He opened the wardrobe and pulled out a pair of jeans and a pullover, tossing them at Tyler. "Well, here you go. You can have some of my stuff. Hope they'll fit."

"Thanks," Tyler replied and somehow his expression was suddenly so serious, that Jeremy stopped for a second before leaving the room.

"Thanks? For what?"

Tyler closed his eyes and the words seemed to hurt him. "For not laughing at me."

Jeremy looked back at him, hanging his head. "Hey… I embarrassed myself just as much and you're not laughing at me either. So, I guess, thank _you_, too." He tried to smile at Tyler before he left the room.

* * *

Elena Gilbert turned the key and opened the door. She had a heavy bag in her hand, tossing the keys on the dresser almost carelessly. "Jeremy, we're back," he yelled, as she walked into the hallway.

Her brother stuck his head out of the kitchen and there was something in his expression that looked as if it was panic. "Elena…?"

"What did you say?" a voice came down from the bathroom upstairs. "I didn't hear you." A person came down the stairs.

Elena's eyes opened wide as she stared up. "…Tyler?"

Tyler stopped as soon as he saw her. "Elena…"

"Hey," Elena replied, still confused, looking at her brother for help.

Jeremy rushed out of the kitchen. "What are you doing here?" he cried almost helplessly.

"Yeah well, what is _he_ doing here?" she hissed back. "And why is he wearing your stuff?"

Jeremy struggled to reply _just anything_, but his head was nothing but empty. Cold sweat started to run down his back. Why? Why was she back? She wasn't supposed to return until Monday!

"I…" Tyler looked at Jeremy, uncomfortable, then back at Elena. "I better get going now," he said, turning his head away from her as he left through the door.

"Elena, are you crazy?" Jeremy tore his hair after Tyler had shut the door. "What the hell are you doing here? Today!"

"What was _that_ about?" Elena shook her head. "Tyler? Tyler Lockwood? Seriously, I would have expected anyone. And that was your pullover!" She pointed after him.

"We had pizza okay? And he dropped it and he was covered with tomato sauce. You're making such a big fuss over this."

"Oh, sorry, I just returned to my house to find Tyler Lockwood walking out of my bathroom."

"Hey guys!" It was Jenna, who entered, struggling with a bag even larger than Elena's. "Wasn't that just Mayor Lockwood's son who stumped past me?"

"Wearing Jeremy's clothes," Elena added. "Yes, that was him."

Jeremy held his breath, furious. He couldn't believe it! Why were they back? Why did they run into Tyler? How was he going to explain what he couldn't understand himself?

"Wow…" Jenna seemed impressed. "Wasn't he something like your arch nemesis, Jeremy?"

"I invited some guys from school over last night and he just _happened_ to be come along, okay?" Jeremy snapped back, struggling to keep his composure. "If you had returned tomorrow as planned, you wouldn't have noticed anything."

"Well, sorry to disappoint you," Jenna said with a grin. "You have been caught red-handed. Now come on, help us with the bags."

Jeremy let out a sigh. _You have no idea._

_

* * *

_

About half an hour later, Jeremy returned to his room. Eventually, he managed to calm down, even if it was just a bit. His aunt and his sister had fortunately stopped bugging him about Tyler or anything that had happened since they had left, and Jeremy was glad about it.

He grabbed the headphones and put some music on, before letting himself drop on the bed. Did Jenna and Elena suspect anything? He couldn't tell. He feared they did, but then again, maybe that was just the normal reaction to suddenly running into Tyler Lockwood, who had never been to their house before and – to be fair – wasn't exactly known for being Jeremy's best friend. Maybe that would have startled anyone? And still, there was this thing about the clothes… Jeremy turned the volume up.

For a moment he was able to clear his head, until suddenly the memory of this morning returned and overwhelmed him like a giant wave. They had been right here, right on this bed, together. Now that Tyler wasn't around, Jeremy didn't have to pretend anymore. He had liked it, he finally accepted. He had enjoyed being with Tyler Lockwood, even though this feeling of hostility towards the other boy wasn't entirely gone either. Maybe he had enjoyed it even _because_ of that.

His thoughts wandered on to Vicky Donovan. Even though she wasn't alive anymore, she still seemed to be the invisible link between them, connecting them and keeping them apart at the same time. He wondered if Tyler had been the same sleeping with Vicky as he had been sleeping with him. He wondered how much of her Tyler saw in him. How much of a replacement for her he was to him. The question started bugging him how things between Tyler and Vicky _really_ had been like… Had he been more gentle towards her than towards him? Had he been more eager when he'd slept with her? Had he… _enjoyed_ being with Vicky more than being with him…? Instantly he shook his head. That was probably the reason why triangles usually only played out in two directions, not actually all three possible ways.

"Jeremy?" Elena knocked at the door. "We're having lunch, do you want some, too?"

What about Tyler? Was he brooding over the very same things right now? How did _he_ actually feel about this? Was he confused? Was he suffering? Was he happy? And how did he really feel about Jeremy?

There were so many questions left unanswered and Jeremy knew that – more than anything – he wanted to talk to Tyler, to ask him, to make sure…

He took a glance at his cell phone lying on the night table and it made him realize that he didn't even know Tyler's number.

* * *

**To be continued…**


	5. Foundation Festival

**Us, Servants to the Moon – Chapter 5**

**Author's Note**: Whew, finally finished this chapter! It's a bit different from the previous ones, but I hope you'll like it anyway! I was trying to shift the focus a bit away from the werewolf issue, so that Jeremy and Tyler could bond over something else (and something less negative), but the werewolf curse will definitely be main theme in chapter 6! So until then, I hope you'll enjoy this one :)

* * *

The festival ground was lit by hundreds of lampions. It was a cold night and Tyler Lockwood was sitting on a box slightly apart from the celebrating crowd. Tonight was the annual festival in memory of the foundation of Mystic Fall's famous church, a holiday Tyler had usually been looking forward to.

This year, however, he was concerned with other matters. Much more important matters. Still, being a member of the town's Founding Families, he had had no other choice than to take part anyway.

The lampions' unsteady light threw flickering shadows over his face. Tyler clutched the bottle in his hands; he didn't take a nip though. All he did was staring at the dancing crowd.

Two days had passed since he had woken up in Jeremy Gilbert's bedroom, cold, naked and confused. Thinking of it hurt so much. He wanted to understand why it was him, why it was Jeremy, but no matter how much he struggled for an answer somewhere in his subconscious, he didn't manage to find one.

Quietly, Tyler sighed. He didn't want to feel this affectionate feeling in his heart whenever he thought of Jeremy, he couldn't allow himself to. There was so much depending on him, so many expectations weighing on his shoulders. One day, he might become mayor of this town himself. And then? He couldn't be in a relationship with a guy when the entire town should be looking up to him, respecting him… There was no way he could be living together with his gay boyfriend. Never. _Oh look, _the people would say behind his back,_ here he comes, our gay mayor. _No, he couldn't bear it. Never. Whatever it was he was feeling towards Jeremy Gilbert, he _had_ to suppress it. At all cost.

They hadn't met since that fateful Sunday morning, when they had been surprised by the unexpected return of Jeremy's sister and his aunt, not even at school by chance. Tyler was glad for it actually, because he honestly couldn't tell right now how he would behave towards Jeremy if they suddenly met again. He needed to be on his own for a while, until he had come to terms with this new revelation that had been bugging him for days now.

He had fallen in love with Jeremy Gilbert.

In love, yes. It was out, at least in his mind. A true fact, he knew it. But trying to accept it seemed like fighting for the impossible.

"Hey, attention everyone." A guy wearing a blue shirt and a matching pair of glasses had grabbed the microphone. Tyler knew him from school. "In a few minutes we'll start with this year's foundation treasure hunt."

_Not that again_, Tyler thought half-heartedly. They were indeed planning on playing their kindergarten games again. All he wanted was to sit here, alone, in silence, with his unspeakable secret and that one sacred bottle in his hand that helped him clear his mind so well. But his wish wouldn't be granted.

"For our first-time visitors, I'll quickly explain the rules," the boy continued. "You will all be divided into teams of two people. Each team will then receive a unique treasure map which requires them to solve a mystery regarding our church's foundation. As a reward, they will find one of the foundation stones we have hidden all over town. The one team which returns first carrying their foundation stone will be the winners. The prize this year is dinner for two at Venice restaurant."

* * *

"I have this feeling that you'll be doing the treasure hunt with Stefan this year, Elena," Bonnie said with a smile on her lips. She was standing next to the stage under the lampions together with Elena and her brother Jeremy.

Elena shook her head, giggling slightly. "That would be too much of a coincidence."

"Just wait and see," Bonnie said as if she was telling Elena's fortune.

"Bonnie's right," Jeremy said without looking at the girls. He seemed busy searching the crowd for someone. "Weird coincidences happen all the time." _Especially if you don't want them to happen._

"Well, who do you want to do the treasure hunt with?" Bonnie asked after a while.

"Me?" Jeremy sighed and turned to her. "Honestly, I'd rather not take part at all."

A girl Jeremy didn't know climbed onto the stage. A few seconds later she started drawing lots in order to match the teams randomly. Somehow, inside his heart, Jeremy knew that he would be drawn to do the treasure hunt together with Tyler Lockwood. There was simply no other way. _Especially_ because he didn't want to.

In his head he already started thinking of what he would say to Tyler when they were chosen to do the treasure hunt together. Actually he had lost count of how many hours he had already spent on that very question. He had managed to talk himself into believing he was over this whole issue, but that didn't mean that he was actually thrilled to meet Tyler again.

_Maybe it would be best to act as if nothing bad had ever happened._

He winced as the girl on the stage suddenly announced his name. "We have Jeremy Gilbert."

Jeremy held his breath, as she drew another lot. The seconds until she said the name seemed like years. _Tyler Lockwood_, Jeremy heard her say. _Tyler Lockwood_. Then she opened her mouth. "And Matt Donovan."

_Matt Donovan_? Jeremy couldn't believe his ears. So there was a God after all. He was safe, he was free, he was so glad.

* * *

Tyler started to relax as soon as he heard that Jeremy would have to do the treasure hunt with Matt Donovan. It was such a relief. For a second he had already thought to hear his name, but it seemed that for once, luck was smiling down at him.

"Caroline Forbes", the announcer continued. "And Tyler Lockwood."

Caroline! Tyler didn't notice that he was actually grinning in relief. The blonde girl had already spotted him and came walking towards him.

He wasn't really friends with Caroline. For a long time she had been nothing more to him than his best friend Matt's girlfriend. But Matt and Caroline were kinda over now and Caroline was a pretty girl, the prettiest girl in town, actually. So who else would be better fit to take his mind off Jeremy than her? All that was necessary was to remind himself how nice it was to be with a girl and all his problems would vanish into thin air.

"Hey, Tyler," Caroline said and she smiled at him. "We've got to do the treasure hunt together."

"Yeah, I heard it," Tyler said and stood up, smiling back at her. "We better get going then."

"They gave me a pair of flashlights and this map," she said and showed him a folded sheet of paper that had apparently been designed to look like an ancient map. Quickly, she unfolded it.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you wanna win this dinner." Tyler looked at her with a teasing glance.

"Of course I do," Caroline replied without even hesitating for a second. "Winning lies in my family's genes."

Tyler lifted his eyebrows acknowledging, then he took a look at the map. _Route #4: Matthew McLane _was written at the top in some ancient looking Microsoft Word font.

"As far as I can see, this yellow line shows the way we need to go. And this has to be the festival ground over here." She pointed at a highlighted area.

"The line leads into the woods," Tyler noticed. "See these two trees next to the lake? I know that place. It's near the ancient Lockwood estate."

"It's the destination they want us to go to." Caroline nodded. "Alright, let's go. That was an easy one."

"Yeah." Tyler turned around to follow the blonde girl into the woods. "We make a good team, you and me."

* * *

Following Tyler's lead, he and Caroline arrived at their destination, marked with a blatantly red X on the treasure map.

At one of the lower braches of a tree, there was a ribbon with a yellow envelope.

Tyler took it down and turned to Caroline. "I guess that-"

"Hush!" Caroline said, placing her finger on her lips. "Someone's coming!"

"I don't hear anything," Tyler replied. Then there it was. Footsteps. Quiet voices.

A flashlight was pointed at them, blinding them.

"Hey!" Tyler yelled, shielding his eyes with his palm. "What the hell!"

"Car, Ty!" It was Matt who put the flashlight down. Jeremy stopped next to him.

Unbelieving, Tyler stared at Jeremy with his eyes wide open. He had just been starting to enjoy this silly game. Being alone with a girl allowed him to imagine things to be differently, but now, with Jeremy standing right in front of him, all doubts and fears came flooding back into his consciousness.

Jeremy looked back at him as if he was staring at ghost, his face suddenly pale.

Strangely though, Matt and Caroline seemed to have a similar exchange of looks.

"What are you doing here, Matt?" Caroline said, and even though she had been so confident and bold with Tyler until now, her voice suddenly seemed to waver.

"Car, about earlier…" Matt stammered, looking at her. "I'm sorry about that."

"Just go, Matt. I don't wanna talk about it."

He didn't give in. "But I-"

"Don't you get it?" Caroline was trembling. "Just leave me alone!" Angry, and without any further explanation, Caroline grabbed her flashlight and ran off into the woods.

"Caroline!" Matt yelled. "Wait!" It took him only a few seconds until he ran after her.

Their footsteps disappeared in the distance and silence returned. Only the quiet cries of a distant owl could be heard.

"Yeah, right," Jeremy cleared his throat after a while. "We could have expected that."

* * *

Tyler and Jeremy were standing there, next to each other, alone somewhere in the woods. And there it was, eventually, that one moment when they had to face each other for the first time since Sunday.

Jeremy turned to the other boy. _Act as if nothing had happened_, he remembered. "Oh, you already found an envelope. Great."

"Yeah," Tyler replied, obviously unsure, what to do.

Embarrassing silence returned and none of the boys could think of something to say.

Then Tyler remembered the envelope in his hands. _That's it!_ It was prefect; it was something to focus on. "Anyway, let's see what this stupid letter is about," Tyler said, wiping away all other thoughts, and opened the envelope. "Here we go."

Jeremy shook his head, grateful for the distraction Tyler was offering him. "What does it say?"

"_Mystic Falls, February, 2nd, 1866. My dear cousin_," Tyler read, "_yesterday I arrived safely here in Mystic Falls. That long, strenuous journey is finally over now. However I'm devastated to tell you that Marlene, my beloved wife, passed away last night. The journey's ordeal was too hard for her fragile body and I find no words telling you how I feel in this dark hour._" Tyler put the letter down. "Great, we got the chick flick route."

Jeremy shrugged. "They intended this one for Caroline and you, so…"

Tyler threw a sharp glance at him, then he finished reading the letter, "_There is one thing for sure, I will never love someone ever again._ With _ever again_ printed in bold. Singed, _Matthew McLane_."

"Okay, so what does that tell us?"

"I have no idea. We talked about this briefly in our history classes last year, but I don't remember much. I think after Fell's Church was destroyed during the Battle of Willow Creek, the townspeople decided to build a new church, our current one." _What the hell am I talking about?_ He didn't care about this stupid game, he didn't want to find any clues, he just wanted… A look at Jeremy's face, however, reminded him that playing this game was better than having to deal with… other stuff. So he went on, "McLane was one of the six or seven guys who donated the money for it."

"And that had something to do with the death of his wife? Or why did they print the _ever again_ in bold?"

"Because I think that he remarried after all," Tyler replied. "But I don't know who it was. Her name was something like… Abernathy I think…"

"Abernathy?" Jeremy frowned. "I know that name. At the bakery in Oak Street, there is this small memorial kind of thing… I pass it every day on my way to school…"

"Bakery, that's possible… Yeah, I think I remember something like that. So I guess that would be the place for us to go."

"Whoa, wait… You don't really plan on playing this treasure hunt game, do you?"

"What else do you suggest?" Tyler asked back. "Go look for Matt and Caroline, if you want to, or just go home, Jeremy. I don't mind." Without waiting for an answer, Tyler put the letter in his pocket and started walking back to the town.

* * *

"I'm not into those treasure hunts much." Jeremy caught up with him. He was surprised to find out that acting as if nothing had happened was easier than he had expected. He was over this whole mess, he reminded himself. There was nothing to fear. "But sneaking around in the woods at night, it's kind of exciting, don't you think? Us, walking around with flashlights, it's like in one of those teen horror movies, right?"

Tyler kept walking on, without even showing the slightest reaction.

"It's so quiet… You'd think that there's danger lurking behind every tree…" Jeremy continued almost enthusiastic. "And the pale light of the moon… Oh, hey, by the way, I haven't had the chance to ask you about the transformation. What was it like?"

The other boy sped up his pace, but Jeremy managed to keep up with him with ease.

"I mean, was it exciting? What did you feel, being a wolf?"

Suddenly, Tyler stopped and Jeremy almost ran into him. He looked at Tyler's eyes and saw the other boy staring back at him with annoyance in his face. "Why do you keep doing this?"

"Doing what?" Jeremy asked back, confused.

"_This_," Tyler hissed. "Acting, as if there wasn't this huge elephant standing right the middle of our room."

"Well," Jeremy shrugged. "I don't know about your room, but as far as my-"

Tyler grabbed his collar and pushed him back.

"Hey, are you crazy? What is your problem?"

"What is _your_ problem?" Tyler snapped back.

"No, you're obviously the one having a problem." Jeremy's face became serious. "If this is about Sunday morning, then I'm sorry, but I'm over it. It was a mistake, but it happened in the heat of the moment. I was relieved that I was alive, you were happy that you transformed without being a murderer. There was so much danger and tension and then it was suddenly gone and it just happened. I accepted that, that's why I'm over it." He paused. "But honestly, the way you're acting, it wouldn't seem that you're too."

Jeremy was right. He wasn't. He wasn't in the slightest… Quite the contrary actually… Since Sunday he was in this much too deep and obviously very much unlike Jeremy, who really seemed to have gotten over it… But Tyler realised now, the way he was acting, he was actually giving Jeremy the impression that Sunday had meant more to him than it had to Jeremy, and that would be a fatal mistake.

So he bit his lips and replied almost politely, "It felt quite amazing."

"Hm?"

"The transformation. You asked me. It was very exciting; it felt so natural and light being a wolf."

Jeremy hesitated. Tyler's sudden change of attitude confused him, but then he decided to let it go. "Oh, okay. And were you conscious all the time?"

"Well, sort of. I was partially conscious, I'd say, which means, I realized where I was going and memorized what I was doing, but as a wolf, you are so much more sensitive to noise and scents, they're everywhere. So I just followed them by instinct, rather than at will."

"Sounds awesome."

"Does it?" Tyler felt that he was slowly starting to cool down. Talking about the transformation actually helped to get his mind off the other big event that happened on Sunday. Becoming a werewolf affected him just as much, but until now, he hadn't had the chance to talk to somebody about it and Jeremy's interest in his story actually made him talk about it almost excitedly.

"And did it hurt?" Jeremy continued asking as they slowly walked on.

"What? The transformation? What makes you think that? Of course not."

"That's good."

"Why?"

"Because I read in my ancestor's diary that apparently the transformation caused quite a lot of pain."

Tyler stopped for a moment, as if he felt a dark shadow laying over his future. "Didn't happen to me," he shrugged and put that matter aside for now.

"Well, I wish I could be a werewolf, too. You're so lucky, Tyler."

"Yeah, but wearing a ring that makes you immortal is kinda cool, too. By the way, you promised me a report as well. So how was it, being shot?"

Jeremy was looking back at him as if he was wondering if Tyler was actually being serious or not. "That actually hurt," he said after a while.

"Really? I always thought you were dead before you could feel any pain."

"Yeah well, you're dead quite fast, that's right, but the last thing you feel before everything just… stops… well, it's like you hit your head against a sharp edge."

"Ouch," Tyler frowned. "Doesn't sound like much fun." He glanced at the boy walking next to him. "Hey, by the way, I haven't said thanks for taking all that risk just to make me become a werewolf."

Jeremy grinned and shook his head. "Don't mention it."

Tyler's gaze came to rest on him. The moonlight was lightening up his face, soft silver light reflected in his eyes and making them shine like they did on that full moon...

For a second, Tyler could hear his breath again, feel those warm, trembling kisses at his neck...

Heat ran through his veins and up his head.

He didn't want to allow himself to feel like that for another guy and he didn't want to give Jeremy any more reason to think that this night had affected him more than it had affected Jeremy, but right now, at this very moment, he knew that no one could see what was inside his head. No one would ever find out, so just for this one forbidden moment, he let himself indulge in that memory.

* * *

Jeremy was surprised that they didn't run into any of the other teams participating in the treasure hunt. Someone obviously put quite a lot of effort in separating the routes from each other.

A few minutes later, they were standing in front of a closed, dark bakery.

"Here it is," Jeremy pointed at a small tile on the front side of the building. "_In memory of Mystic Fall's beloved daughter, __Elizabeth McClane, née Abernathy, 1834 – 1900. _See, that's her, I told you."

"Yeah, I can see that, but that doesn't really help us. I mean, where's the clue in here? It's just her name and the dates." Tyler shrugged. "This is a dead end."

"Hey, I don't think so," Jeremy said and picked up a small envelope from the ground. "I think we're right on track." He opened it and threw a triumphing glance at Tyler, who couldn't help but smile back.

"_Mystic Falls, May, 22nd, 1878. My dear Abbey_," he started reading. "_Thank you so much for your congratulations on our marriage. I am aware that most people of this town are disapproving of our decision, but the joy I feel in my heart right now makes me know for certain, that the Lord Himself bound our hearts together. Love, your sister Elizabeth. _With _the Lord Himself bound our hearts together_ printed in bold." He put the letter down. "Any ideas?"

"Okay, so our teacher talked about this marriage thing they had going on back then…" Tyler tried to remember. "McClane's first wife died, but then he met Elizabeth Abernathy and wanted to marry her. But back then, people weren't allowed to remarry, so he and Elizabeth were kind of despised by the other people, because they did anyway. Still, they are said to have been very happy with each other and that's why McClane decided to become one of the church's founders, because he wanted to thank God for allowing him to be happy, even though they had broken a divine commandment by remarrying."

"You know an awful lot about this," Jeremy commented. "I didn't think of you as the kind of guy who pays attention during history classes."

"Ah well…" Tyler rolled his eyes. "Local history is not as bad as…" he shrugged, "the other history."

"Yeah," Jeremy grinned, "I think so, too."

They looked at each for a moment.

"Okay," Tyler changed the subject. "That's all I know about this story, but I still don't get where they want us to go next."

Jeremy read the letter once again. "The bold section is about God uniting their hearts. That could mean the day of their illegal marriage. Do you know where they married? Since it was illegal, I guess they didn't marry in the church."

"Wait, no, actually they did!" Tyler remembered. "They married a few years after the church was built, and since McClane had put so much money into this, the priest was kind of bias and wed them in secret."

"Wow, okay, so our destination would be the church?" Jeremy lifted his eyebrows.

"Yeah, that could be," Tyler shrugged and they went on towards the church.

"Hey, you know, we make a good team on this treasure hunt stuff," Jeremy remarked after a few steps. "Okay, admittedly, you're doing most of the work, but still. I kind of get the impression that we could actually win this."

"Ts," Tyler snorted with a grin. "As if we cared about winning this childish game."

They looked at each other for a second.

"Okay," Tyler said, "Let's hurry!"

* * *

The interior of the church was dark and cold. The large hall seemed to extend endlessly above them, every step they took resounded with frightening echo.

Tyler noticed the candles ahead on the altar, their flickering light hardly managing to fight back against darkness.

"I don't think we're actually allowed in here," Jeremy whispered into the silence, leaning just a little bit closer to the other boy.

It was a gloomy atmosphere and Tyler looked at Jeremy's face. He didn't know why, but right here, right at this moment, he felt so drawn to him that he couldn't wish for anyone else to be with him.

If Jeremy only were a girl... It would make things so much easier. If he were a girl, Tyler wouldn't hesitate to charm him, to show off maybe a little bit and try out one flirt or another. He would have the experience of years on his side; he would feel safe and eventually succeed. But Jeremy was far from being a girl... And that was Tyler's great dilemma. He didn't know how to behave towards a boy he had feelings for. There was no already existing and approved template for this situation in his head. Let alone, of course, that he wasn't actually allowed to ever give in to what he felt for Jeremy.

They walked towards the altar, stiff and uncomfortable, and Tyler suddenly realized the parallel between McClane and his wife and Jeremy and him. Their relationship as well had been disapproved by most other people and still they had been happy with each other. And this was not a fairy-tale, it was a real, historic event. He glanced at Jeremy and swallowed, then he turned his eyes back on the floor.

There was a golden brick lying on the candle lit altar.

"Wow, I guess we got it," Jeremy took it into his hands and turned it around a few times.

"Is it real?" Tyler asked quickly.

"Nope, just gold foil." He had already torn off a small piece of the foil. Regular red brick appeared underneath it.

Jeremy's goofy behaviour made Tyler feel comfortable again. "Okay, just don't break it. I don't want them to think that we just grabbed some brick from the building site."

"Don't worry," Jeremy replied with a grin, putting the foil back into its place. "No one will suspect anything."

* * *

"So, that treasure hunt was easy," Jeremy boasted on their way back to the festival ground. "It was far beneath our capabilities."

Tyler grinned. "Yeah, you're right.

The moon shone down at them, and while they were joking around friendly, their spirits boosted from their achievement, the awkwardness and their troubles went away. Tonight, they had been a team. They had been friends.

"Wow, look at us," Tyler pointed at the board in front of the stage, when they arrived at the festival ground. "We finished second last. I guess no dinner for us."

"Yeah, it's good to know that there's at least one team worse than us, though."

Strangely, the festival place was empty. No one except them was around anymore.

"So, where is everyone, anyway?" Tyler looked around him. "We're the only ones here."

"Maybe they've already gone home, because it took us too long to finish."

They were just about to leave, when a blonde girl came running past them.

"Hey," Jeremy stopped her. "Just where exactly is everyone?"

The girl seemed scared. "Haven't you heart?" she cried. "They found a body in the woods."

"A body?" Tyler and Jeremy asked back.

The girl nodded. "It's Mary Farlane from the 11th grade. They say she was killed by a wolf."

Tyler held his breath and looked at her. The words had cut deeply into his heart.

* * *

**To be continued…**


	6. Prey to the Wolf

**Us, Servants to the Moon – Chapter 6**

**Author's Note**: So sorry again that it took me so long to finish this! The next chapter will be up soon, too, I promise, and it will be a very cute and romantic one to make it up to you guys! :-)

* * *

Police lights were throwing bright flashes over the woods, making the tree trunks look as if they were pulsating with red and blue light.

"Excuse me, can I just…" Tyler tried to make his way through the crowd, until he reached a yellow tape that kept him from going any further. Horror filled Tyler's eyes, as he stared at a figure lying on the ground, covered by a gray blanket. Police officers were all around the place.

"Tyler!" Jeremy stopped next to him, the police lights reflected in his eyes. He looked at Tyler's petrified face and seeing him like this almost broke his heart.

"We did all this just to make sure I didn't have to kill anyone and now," Tyler whispered quietly, "…in the end all this just made me do it."

"But it wasn't you, Tyler!" Jeremy hissed helplessly, "it couldn't have been you! You don't remember doing this, right? And you told me you'd been conscious all the time!"

"I don't know…! I just remember bits and pieces…"

Jeremy grabbed Tyler's shoulders and turned him around to face him. "But I've seen you when you returned to my room! Just look at her! If you did this, then you should have been covered with blood that night! And you weren't! I swear it!"

"Dammit, Jeremy, that doesn't prove anything!" Tyler yelled, breaking free from Jeremy's grip. "That girl is dead and they said it was a wolf. I don't see another one around." He gave Jeremy one last glance before he ran back into the darkness of the woods.

"Tyler, wait!" Jeremy yelled, trying to follow the other boy into the forest, but the people standing around him were blocking the way. When he finally got out of the crowd, Tyler was already gone.

Jeremy was just about to run off into the darkness as well, when he suddenly noticed his sister Elena standing on the other side of the clearance together with her vampire friends Stefan and Damon. As usual, he noticed, they had secretive looks on their faces, watching the crime scene with wary glances.

For a second his eyes turned back to the forest and he stood there, hesitating. He probably wouldn't have a chance to find Tyler in the darkness anyway… Besides, _this_ was his chance. It was what he had been waiting for all along. Even more, it was the actual reason why he had gotten into this whole mess in the first place: so that Elena and her friends would finally stop ignoring him, so that they would involve him in their vampire adventures and finally, he wouldn't be left out anymore.

He thought back to Sunday morning, the morning after Tyler's transformation, when he was standing there alone at the window of his room. Once again, he had been the one sitting merely among the audience, watching others become extraordinary, yet remaining ordinary himself. Now that Tyler was a werewolf, now that he had what he wanted, he was lost to Jeremy. He would never need his help ever again.

So if Jeremy really intended to finally be of importance to someone, he had no other chance than to stick to Elena and her friends.

He turned his head away from the forest and looked back to the crowd.

* * *

"No, they said it was a wolf attack," Stefan pointed at the policemen. "I mean, I couldn't…"

Damon gave his brother an ironic glance. "Have you ever seen a wolf doing such a thing, Stefan, honestly?" He shrugged. "No. The only thing that could have done… _that_ – it must have been a werewolf."

Stefan rolled his eyes. "There is no such thing, Damon."

"Well, who knows." Elena seemed unsure the way she crossed her arms over her chest. "I mean, vampires are real. So why shouldn't-" She stopped as Stefan gave her a glance telling her to stop talking. Puzzled, she turned around.

"Hey, guys." Seemingly out of nowhere, Elena's little brother Jeremy walked up to them.

Damon immediately rolled his eyes. "What do _you_ want?"

"Jeremy!" Elena grabbed Jeremy's jacket. "Thank God you're alright. When Matt returned from the treasure hunt without you-"

"I'm fine, Elena," Jeremy assured, then pointed at the crime scene. "Pretty ugly mess over there. Horrible. They say it had been a wolf."

"Ow, we're not here to gossip, Jeremy," Damon said, his eyes mockingly wide. "You better go home, kid."

"Damon's right." Elena turned to her brother while Stefan agreed with a nod. "It's not safe here."

"Yeah, I know," Jeremy replied with a meaningful tone of voice. "But I won't go home tonight. Not this time." He looked at the three people standing in front of him. He could see in their eyes that he had already caught their attention. This time, yes… this time he wouldn't be left out.

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked in his calm, soothing voice.

"Well," Jeremy hoped they wouldn't notice how unsure he was playing his ace card. "I think you'll need my help this time." It felt so good to say those words. It made him feel all grown-up and important. Crucial, even.

The look on Damon's face said that he didn't believe a thing Jeremy said. Elena, on the other hand, seemed shocked. What was her brother talking about?

"I wanna be part of the team," Jeremy said, "that is, if you're interested in werewolves."

* * *

He could still hear the siren of the police cars from afar. They were looking for a culprit. They were looking for him.

Tyler was all alone, and he'd never felt more alone in his life than right now.

The forest around him was dark and menacing, the trees merely dark shadows resisting against the bright, waning moon, that seemed like a giant, mocking face up in the sky.

He looked so miserable, the way he was sitting on the rough ground, his back against a tree trunk, his knees pulled close to his chest. He felt small and helpless.

For the first time he realized what he had done. He was like one of those reckless youths, who tend to do lots of irresponsible stuff just to be popular. There was no difference to him. He, as well, should have known better, he should have listened to his inner voice warning him not to play such a dangerous game, not to risk his young life for something that would only bring him pain. They didn't call it a curse for no reason.

Still, his greed to make his life special, to make it extraordinary, had mislead him to walk down a road he should have known would be the wrong one.

Now, he was paying the price for it. Staying innocent, not becoming a murderer, that had been his only condition, and now, even that had been taken away from him.

Mary Farlane, he'd known her. She had been a good girl, always smiling, always cheerful. And now, cold, dead. A victim that hadn't deserved to die. He had seen her so many times on the schoolyard, yet they had never even talked to each other and now their lives were entwined in a way none of them could ever have imagined. He had caused her death in a barbaric, senseless way and it gave him the chills just to think of his guilt.

His thoughts continued spinning around in circles like that, not taking him anywhere, when suddenly a noise came from the trees opposite him. Tyler lifted his head and he could see a dark figure standing there. How long that person had already been watching him he didn't know.

"Jeremy?" he asked, and even though he should be mad at the person who was actually the cause of all this, at that moment he was simply thankful. No, he had actually wished for Jeremy to be here with him. In the end, Jeremy was the only one who could understand him, the only one he could talk to. Jeremy was the only one who could comfort him.

"No," the shadow replied, however. "My name is Jules."

* * *

"Hello, Tyler," the woman said as she stepped into the moonlight. She had long, light brown hair that fell over her shoulders, the expression on her pretty face was confident. Tyler figured she had to be in her early thirties.

He narrowed his eyes so that he could see her face more clearly. "Who are you?" he hissed, warily.

"I'm a friend," the woman called Jules replied. "Actually," she came closer, "I'm even more than that. I think you could say, I'm family."

"I don't know you," Tyler replied. "Are you a relative of my mother's?"

Jules shook her head with a smile. "I'm a relative of _yours_." She was now standing right in front of him, when she turned around and sat down next to him. "I'm a wolf," she explained. "Like you."

Those words scared Tyler and he looked at her with his eyes wide open. "How do you know?"

"I've seen you," Jules said, "on Sunday morning. But your instincts are not as sensitive as mine, so didn't notice me."

Was she serious? Tyler couldn't believe his ears. So there really were others? Others like him? For one second he felt an almost blissful relief, but then another thought crossed his mind and he backed away from her: "You were there on Sunday morning? So it was you! You killed that girl!"

"Yes."

"Yes? That's all you have to say? Why did you attack her?" Tyler sounded furious. "She was just an innocent girl!" All the anger and the remorse that he had been targeting at himself suddenly shifted to Jules. "How _could_ you?"

"You know why. And it could have very well happened to yourself", Jules replied. "When transformed, you lose control over your consciousness and your instincts take over. Your consciousness is reduced to nothing more than a passenger, a silent watcher." Jules pulled her legs closer to her chest. "I'm sorry for what happened to that girl, but, believe me, she is not the first and she won't be the last. That's part of the curse we have to bear. You'll experience that soon enough."

Tyler shook his head. "Never," he said with absolute determination. "All this pain, the guilt, the remorse – I've learned my lesson. I won't become a murderer, and now that I know I haven't already become one, I'll make sure it won't ever happen." He felt a sudden surge of power inside, a power that made him strong enough to dismiss everything Jules said. He felt so relieved, that he actually got away with no more than a fright, and it had been a hell of a fright.

"You can't live against your nature, Tyler," Jules said to him, her voice as calm as before. "What would you do? Lock yourself away once a month? Well, some of our kind try, your uncle did, for example. But they usually don't end well." She turned to him. "Tyler, this is for your own good. Come with me. We'll teach you everything you need to now and you'll get by."

"No, thanks," he replied. "I don't wanna know the things you could teach me."

"We're your family now, your _pack_. A wolf can't live on its own, believe me."

Tyler kept staring at the dark ground in front of him. That woman… Was she right? Was it the right choice for him to come with her? After all, what did he have left here?

And even though he couldn't say why, his thoughts suddenly turned to Jeremy. Yeah, it was definitely the right choice to leave. That way, he wouldn't have to deal with this weird way he was feeling for Jeremy. It would just end. Right now.

Yeah, it was obvious. Jeremy didn't feel anything for him in return after all. Or why else would he not have followed him into the woods at a time like this? Why wasn't he here, right now, to tell Tyler to stay? Tyler knew the answer. Because Jeremy didn't care.

Somehow, that realization made Tyler feel even sadder. Having feelings for another boy was bad enough, having unrequited feelings was even worse. And still…

"Tyler?" Jules was waiting for him to make up his mind. "What do you say?"

* * *

"You did… WHAT?" Damon was so furious Elena feared he would strangle Jeremy on the spot.

"I made him turn," Jeremy repeated, either oblivious to Damon's aggression, or simply brave enough to stand up to him. "It happened on Sunday, when Jenna and Elena were gone."

Damon hit his own forehead and turned around. "What is wrong with your brain?"

"Damon, calm down," Stefan said to conciliate.

"No, seriously. You turned Tyler Lockwood into a werewolf? As if we didn't have enough trouble already!"

"Jeremy, how could you?" Rather than furious, Elena seemed disappointed with her brother. Her voice was calm and strong. "What were you thinking? Taking such a risk for something so reckless… If the ring hadn't worked, then what? You would have died on us!"

"I didn't, okay?" Jeremy replied. He had known that they wouldn't be too happy with what he did at first, but what was with all those accusations? He was there to help now, wasn't he?

"Oh, and don't forget the girl your little werewolf friend had for dinner," Damon reminded. "I'd say you're even more responsible for her death than Tyler."

"Stop it, Damon," Stefan cut his brother off, "you're not helping. I hate to say this, but what's done is done. We gotta find a way to deal with this right now."

"I could tell you something about the werewolves," Jeremy suggested, but his words sounded like a weak attempt to turn the conversation back to the way Jeremy had intended.

"No," Stefan replied instantly. "Maybe later, Jeremy. First, we gotta find Tyler, before something even worse happens."

Damon and Elena agreed, and so Jeremy had no choice but to agree as well.

"Don't even bother," a voice suddenly said. "You won't find him."

Damon, Stefan, Elena and Jeremy turned around. A blonde woman was standing between the trees, a wary expression on her face as she looked over to them.

"Who are you?" Damon asked immediately.

"Tyler is not the one you're looking for. He didn't kill that girl." There was a sparkle in her eyes, but it could just as well have been the police lights reflected. "It was me."

Elena could feel Stefan and Damon tense immediately, Jeremy however seemed to calm down, even be relieved by her words. She didn't have the time to think about it though, instead she faced the woman's gaze when the others didn't and asked, "what do you mean?"

The woman came closer. "My name is Jules," she said, "and I know very well who you are, vampires. I can smell you from miles away."

"Are you a wolf?" Stefan found his voice again. "Are you a werewolf, like Tyler Lockwood?"

"I am," Jules admitted to their surprise. "But you shouldn't worry about it. I'm not here to harm you or to start some Twilight war against you, as you're probably thinking. Tyler will be gone soon and so will I be by morning. So stop bothering with the kid. He'll be with me from now on and neither of us will ever bother you again."

Jeremy tensed at her words. What was she talking about? Tyler was gone? He couldn't believe it… He lowered his head, looking to the ground. Unexpectedly, her words had made him feel strangely sad… Was it that he actually didn't want Tyler to be gone? But why? He finally had what he wanted, hadn't he? His future with Elena and the vampires didn't involve Tyler anyway! So why then? Why did it hurt him to hear Tyler would leave?

"Why should we trust you?" Stefan glared at the woman. "If you really are what you claim to be, then it doesn't really make you a trustworthy person."

A smile formed on Jules' face, and Elena was surprised by the way it made her suddenly look pacific. "Wait for the next full moon. You'll see for yourself: it'll be a peaceful night." As soon as he'd spoken those words, she vanished back into the dark forest.

Damon turned to Stefan and Elena. "I don't trust that woman. Do you trust her? You look as if you did."

Stefan sighed. "This is not about trusting her. It doesn't matter if she told the truth or not. We'll have to wait until the next full moon before we can be sure about it. But I think it's safe to say that werewolves are a real threat, and even if they leave, they can come back anytime. So," he turned to Jeremy, "tell us everything you know about them. We need to be prepared."

"Alright," Damon agreed. "Let the kid follow us into our secret hideout. Come on, let's go and get something to drink. You too, Jeremy. It's gonna be a long night."

Elena and Stefan nodded, following Damon out of the woods.

Jeremy, however, hesitated. "No," he finally replied. "Just go ahead without me," he said, more confident than ever before. "I got somewhere else to be."

* * *

Almost desperate, Jeremy stumbled through the woods. How? How could he have been so blind? _He_ had turned Tyler into a werewolf, Tyler _needed_ him right now, and no one else. This was the place where he was supposed to be. His alliances had already been set the moment he had allowed the other boy to shoot a bullet into his head. He saw that now, and he regretted having thought otherwise.

Still, it was probably too late right now. There was no way he and Jules would still be around. She had convinced him to follow her God knows where to, and sooner or later Tyler must have given in. After all, there hadn't been anyone around to point out the counter arguments, to remind Tyler that this was his place, the place where he belonged.

Wait, did he really? Jeremy realized that he wasn't so sure about it anymore. Maybe Jules was right. Maybe the only place for a werewolf was with his own kind. Maybe a werewolf couldn't make it being alone.

And still… even if going with Jules was objectively the best choice for Tyler, even so… Jeremy realized, he didn't want him to go. He didn't want him to leave. And this time, it wasn't because Jeremy feared he would be left out of all the action. No, he could have had that with Elena and the Salvatore brothers just a second ago. He had refused it. That wasn't the reason anymore. He wanted Tyler to stay because… he didn't want to lose him.

Breathlessly Jeremy stopped when he finally found a dark figure sitting at the foot of a tree.

"Tyler," Jeremy whispered, surprised, sweat running down his forehead.

"Jules' gone," Tyler said as soon as he noticed it was Jeremy. "I sent her away."

Jeremy looked at him, then he came closer.

"She told me, she'd talked to you. I told her I would stay."

"Why, Tyler?" Jeremy whispered, the moonlight only illuminating his forehead and his hair, leaving his eyes in darkness.

Tyler shrugged. "I was never much of a traveller, you know. I was one of the kids who hated school camp."

A slight smile curved Jeremy's lips. He came closer, sitting down next to Tyler.

The moonlight shone directly into Tyler's eyes when he turned his head to look at Jeremy. There was no sign of regret on his face. Quite the contrary, he almost looked… content. "No, seriously," he said, "she was trying really hard to convince me. But in the end, I just realized that this town is the place where I belong. It's my home. My family lives here, and my…" he paused, looking at Jeremy, "friends. I really don't know if I can be on my own, but the least thing I can do is give it a shot." He took in a deep breath. "Maybe it was the wrong decision to become a werewolf, but I'm just so glad it hadn't been me who harmed the girl. It's like I've been given a second chance." He smiled a tender smile. "It feels so good."

Jeremy smiled back at him. He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt the urge to hug him. He was so happy that Tyler was still around. He didn't dare to touch him, though.

Tyler leaned back, looking up at the sky, the moon, now hidden behind a cloud. "But still, even though it didn't happen this time, I realized now what it would be like if something as horrible as Mary's death would happen to me for real. And it could happen any time."

Jeremy shifted and turned to him. "It doesn't have to. You can prevent it, I know it."

"I wish I could," Tyler said, "but I don't know how to. Jules said the blood thirst can't be suppressed."

Jeremy lifted his eyebrows. "Well, who knows. The next full moon is, what, like 26 days away. We've got enough time to figure something out."

"We?" Tyler looked at him.

"You," Jeremy corrected quickly. "You got enough time to figure something out."

"No," Tyler shook his head, and there was a hint of gratitude in his smile. "The _we_ was fine."

* * *

**To be continued…**


	7. Romance

**Us, Servants to the Moon – Chapter 7  
**

**Author's Note**: And here we finally go, the seventh chapter! This time, it's a lighter one. Hope you enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed writing it :)

* * *

It was a rather quiet night at Mystic Grill diner. Matt's shift had just begun half an hour ago, and right now, he was standing behind the bar counter, talking to his friend Tyler.

"I get it… I just wanna know why girls always have to be so difficult… you know? The night of the Foundation Festival has been such a disaster." Matt put a plate back into the cupboard. "I think Caroline and me – we're over."

"I wouldn't bet on that," Tyler replied, pointing across the Grill. "She's sitting over there and keeps staring at you."

The moment Caroline realized that Matt and Tyler were looked at her, she turned her head away.

"She's still totally into you, it's obvious," Tyler explained. "Maybe you should give her another chance. Or else I might give her a chance someday."

Matt snorted, looking at his friend. "Yeah, you'd like that, wouldn't you."

"She's a pretty girl."

"You're hopeless, man." Matt shook his head. "First my sister, and now you wanna go after my girlfriend? You should really find someone who's not related to me in any way."

The door to the Grill opened and Jeremy entered. He immediately spotted Tyler sitting at the bar counter, and a quick smile curved his lips.

Tyler looked away. Somehow, he was suddenly scared Matt might notice that Jeremy – his arch nemesis – had just greeted him, and that could lead to lots of critical questions. _Don't be stupid_, he told himself, as he stared back into his glass, _there is no way that he would become suspicious_. After all, two guys can very well be friends without anyone suspecting they are gay. But still, since Tyler knew the truth about his feelings for Jeremy, he couldn't suppress the fear that everyone would find out as soon as he showed even the smallest hint of affection towards the other boy.

"Hey, Jer, how's it going?" Matt asked and Tyler looked up.

"Hey guys," Jeremy replied as he sat down at the bar counter next to Tyler.

Tyler instinctively moved away from him. He couldn't believe Jeremy would sit down next to him right under Matt's eyes! Didn't he care at all that Matt could find out?

"Hey," Tyler greeted coldly, taking a big gulp from his glass. He prayed that it wouldn't take much for Jeremy to notice that he wasn't exactly welcome here.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Matt asked, friendly as usual.

"Yeah, sure," Jeremy replied and sat there quietly, until Matt handed him a glass.

_Great_, Tyler thought, _there's no way he's going to leave anytime soon… Just don't talk to me._

"So…" Jeremy turned to Tyler. "How's it going? I haven't seen you around since the Foundation Festival."

"Was kinda busy," Tyler murmured, taking another sip. What was wrong with Jeremy? Was he really that stupid? Didn't he get that Tyler didn't want to talk to him with other people around? He thought he remembered Jeremy promising him to keep this a secret.

Matt dried a few cups. "Oh yeah, the two of you did the treasure hunt together, right? Weren't you the ones who finished last?"

"Second to last," Tyler corrected. At least that didn't make him feel like a complete idiot.

"No, I think you finished last," Matt insisted. "Caroline and me, we would have been last, but – for obvious reasons – we didn't finish at all."

"Really?" Jeremy sounded disappointed. "And we thought were hadn't been so bad."

_Stop the freaking 'we'_, Tyler thought, growling from the inside. He couldn't help letting a sigh slip. And since Tyler didn't reply anything else, the conversation was over.

Matt shifted from one leg to the other. "So, Ty, you haven't told me about your new basketball team yet." He obviously tried to change the subject.

"Oh, really? You're playing basketball now?" Jeremy sounded so interested. "Right, you told me you were playing for another team a few weeks ago when we-"

"I don't wanna talk about sports right now, alright?" Tyler hissed, harsher than intended.

Silence returned.

"Alright…" Jeremy said after a while. "I think I better gotta get going. It's kinda late, anyway. See you soon, Matt."

"Bye," Matt replied, as Jeremy stood up and walked over to the door. Then he turned to his friend. "Geez, you gotta let go of that old bickering, Ty. He's not that bad."

Tyler stared at the glass. Jeremy was gone, that at least was a relief. But then again, maybe he had been a bit too harsh towards him. Maybe Jeremy honestly hadn't seen the problem that Tyler had with them both talking to Matt. _I hope he's not mad at me right now_, Tyler thought, feeling sudden regret as he thought back to the night of the Foundation Festival, when Jeremy had come looking for him, concerned, even though he hadn't have to. Tyler had been grateful for that and they had said goodbye as friends for the first time in their lives. Jeremy probably couldn't understand why Tyler was acting so cold towards him again all of a sudden. "Yeah, I know he isn't," Tyler suddenly replied, then he stood up as well, hurrying for the exit.

Outside the Grill, he could see Jeremy turning around the corner into the small, dark street that led back to his home.

"Jeremy, wait!" Tyler yelled, grabbing Jeremy's arm as soon as he reached him.

Jeremy turned around, catching his lips in a sudden, unexpected, but heartfelt kiss.

Tyler didn't resist. He had been waiting for this. And it felt so good. Jeremy felt so good. He pushed him to the wall. It was actually their first real kiss, Tyler realized. The first kiss when none of them was drunk, none of them was influenced by supernatural powers. They were just themselves. That's what made it so special.

Tyler was grateful to have met Jeremy, to have become friends with him even though the other boy had once been the person that Tyler had hated the most. He was glad that he'd changed his mind. He kissed Jeremy back more passionately than before, and with every second that passed, he got the feeling that it was so much more that connected them, that bound them together. A common urge, a similar mind. He put his hand around Jeremy's neck, pulling him even closer. Closer than they already were.

Maybe this wouldn't last forever, Tyler thought, but then again, maybe it didn't have to. It lasted for this moment, and for this moment, it was enough.

* * *

"Jeremy…" A girl's voice whispered. "Jeremy!"

"What?" Jeremy turned around, his voice coming out a bit too harsh. He had been indulging in a memory and she had destroyed it.

The girl sitting behind him pointed at the floor. "My pen!"

"Hm?" He took a look at the floor, then he understood what she wanted him to do, reached down, picked up the pen and gave it back to her.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"Quiet, you guys in the back!" the teacher yelled. "You should pay more attention to the equation than to your pen. You'll need this equation for the test."

"I'll need my pen, too," the girl reminded him. Some of her friends giggled.

The teacher simply gave her an annoyed look, then he continued talking about figures and algorithms.

Jeremy leaned back and stared at the blackboard. There was definitely no period more boring than math. He took a look at his watch. Still half an hour left. He sighed.

Suddenly his cellphone vibrated. There was a new text popping up. _From Tyler Lockwood._ Jeremy almost dropped it to the floor. His heart rate sped up as he read it: _Wanna see you. Let's meet in the woods, the place where we sat together after Foundation Festival, 5 p.m.?_

Jeremy hit a button to reply with a smile on his face. Maybe this math lesson wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

They soon found out that meeting in the woods was actually a great way of spending time together. Out there, they were all by themselves, no one saw them come or leave together. That way, they could keep it a secret.

It was another afternoon about one week later, when Tyler and Jeremy were sitting opposite each other at a small lake in the woods, leaning against two big felled tree trunks. Each one of them had a notebook and a sharp pencil in his hands. They seemed both so focused on their task; only once in a while one of them would look up at the other boy, and then continue sketching.

After a while, Tyler chuckled. "Man, this looks bad. You'll laugh so hard when you see this."

"Oh, come on," Jeremy replied. "I'm sure it's not as bad as you think."

"That's just not my thing, realistic drawings," Tyler explained. "I could draw a picture of you comic-style, and it would look more like you than this does."

"You know what's really helpful for me? When I find something I wanna draw, then I imagine looking at it through a grid. Then I start drawing square by square, without even thinking what it is, that I'm drawing at the moment. I'm not thinking, oh, that's part of a bird's wing or something, it's just a few lines inside my little square. It helps me to abstract from the actual scene and draw more precise."

"Okay," Tyler replied. "I'll try that."

They went back to their tasks again for about half an hour, until Jeremy put away his pencil. "So, have you finished, Picasso?"

"Well, yeah, I guess. It's not quite the picture of Dorian Gray, but… whatever."

"Let me see," Jeremy said, came over and sat down next to Tyler. "So?"

Tyler handed him the notebook.

"Wow…" Jeremy said, looking at his portrait. It looked like a scrawly version of himself. "It's… good! It looks like a mixture of Mickey Mouse and Michael Jackson, but otherwise, you did a great job."

"Just shut up," Tyler replied, grabbing Jeremy's notebook, "and let me see yours." He took a look at the portrait Jeremy had drawn. "Wow…" he held his breath. "That looks so amazing. I'll never be able to match up to you."

"Oh, come on," Jeremy relented. "Your drawing is pretty cool, too, seriously, and this was your first try. You're talented, you just need a bit more practice." He looked at his friend. "Maybe you should start with… an apple?"

"An apple?" Tyler repeated. "You can't be serious…"

Jeremy started laughing.

"Oh, shut up!" Tyler frowned, but then he started laughing, too. It was so easy being with Jeremy. He loved it.

"So, I guess we're done with today's art classes." Jeremy put the notebook away and lifted his eyebrows. "What are we going to do now?"

"Well, there is one more thing," Tyler said, crawling towards Jeremy. "My mom's gone on Saturday night."

"Oh, really?" Jeremy grinned. "So?"

Tyler sat on his lap, resting his arms on the trunk and closing them behind the back of Jeremy's head. "So," he repeated, "I was thinking, maybe…" He smiled, tilting his head teasingly just a bit, as if he was about to kiss him.

It was one of this cat and mouse games, right. Jeremy couldn't resist playing along. "Maybe what?" he asked back, innocently, making it hard for Tyler to catch his lips.

Tyler stopped and looked at him. "Maybe you could come over to my place."

"To your place? On a Saturday night?" Jeremy lifted his eyebrow. "Sounds like a date to me."

"Yeah, maybe you could call it a date." Tyler grinned and leaned towards Jeremy once again, closing his eyes, and this time, Jeremy didn't turn his head away. "So, what do you say?" he whispered.

"Hm, I don't know… I guess," Jeremy replied, closing his eyes as well, "I'm not interested." He leaned back against the trunk while Tyler was all over him.

* * *

Saturday night was a cold, cloudy night. They said there was a storm about to hit the city. Jeremy had his jacket zipped up to the chin, when he walked over to the Lockwood's house. He rang the doorbell and not even a second later, Tyler had already opened the door.

"Hi," Jeremy said with a smug smile on his face. "Have you been lurking behind the door? You opened so fast."

"No, it's actually the garden gate. It makes this loud squealing sound you can't overhear, not even if you're sleeping."

"Poor burglars, I guess," Jeremy replied.

Tyler stepped back. "Come in." He watched the other boy as Jeremy moved past him into the hall. Now this was the third time that Jeremy actually visited him like that, but _third time is a charm_, or so they say. Oh yes, tonight would be nothing but incredible.

"Sorry, I'm late," Jeremy said while taking off his jacket. He wasn't actually late, but it was always a good thing to say if you didn't have anything to say at all.

"No problem," Tyler replied and pointed down the hallway. "Over there."

Jeremy knew immediately where Tyler was leading him. He hadn't forgotten. It was the room they had spent the evening on Jeremy's very first visit alone, the night everything had stated with an unexpected kiss. A lot of things had happened since, and still, here they were again.

Tyler opened the door, and a surprised grin formed on Jeremy's face. Everything had been arranged just in the same way it had been on that night, that very special night of their very first kiss. Two glasses were placed on the table next to the sofa, together with a bottle from the liquor cabinet. And to Jeremy's special delight, the fireplace had been lit to.

"I know how much the fire had fascinated you last time," Tyler confessed with a wink.

"It's awesome," Jeremy grinned back at him.

"So," Tyler pointed at the sofa. "Make yourself at home."

"Really? I can take off my shoes and put my feet on the table?"

"If that's what you want?"

"I'll think about it," Jeremy replied, sitting down on the couch, waiting for Tyler to fill their glasses.

Then Tyler sat down next to Jeremy and looked at the other boy. "So, what do you wanna do?" he asked, like any friendly host would. "Do you wanna chat a little? Or…"

Jeremy snorted, looking at Tyler intensely. "I'm not a girl, you know."

Tyler grinned, as Jeremy leaned towards him, grabbing his arm with his right hand. "I think I like that," he murmured, as Jeremy kissed him gently, pushing him back on the sofa. Tyler put his hand on Jeremy's back. He realized once again how much heavier Jeremy was compared to any girl. It was unfamiliar, but deep inside he enjoyed it very much. Eagerly, he pulled Jeremy closer. Here, in this room, on this sofa with Jeremy, he felt totally free. The walls of the house were shielding them from anyone's glances. No one would find out, so, for once, they could forget all about their inhibitions.

Jeremy had his hands on Tyler's thighs, moving them up over the pockets of his pants, the belt and under his pullover.

Oh yeah, Tyler though, this night would become incredible.

* * *

Carol Lockwood turned the key around and opened the door. With a quick, familiar movement she switched on the lights took off her shoes. Her feet had been hurting all day and she way happy to finally get them off. It was half past nine, so Tyler would be in his room, she was certain. But then she heard some muffled voices from the living room. _Does Tyler have a friend over?_ she wondered.

Quietly, she sneaked along the hallway. Yes, there was definitely someone there. She could hear another boy's voice. Maybe it was Matt? Well, the food she brought home would surely be enough for three people, so it wasn't a big deal.

Slowly she opened the door and peeked into the room.

Tyler and another boy were sitting on the sofa, books and notebooks spread all over the table.

Tyler was taking a look at the other boy's notebook. " X to the fourth power minus seventeen," he wrote something down, "divided by…"

"Divided by y," the other boy completed. "No, that can't be right… Do you think this it right?"

"How should I know?"

Carol hesitated. Obviously the boys hadn't noticed her yet, so she quietly knocked against the door case. "Hey guys," she smiled, as they turned around. Finally she recognized the other boy. It was Jeremy Gilbert, to her surprise. More than once, she had been sitting in the principal's office, excusing her son's fights with that very boy. It had been over a girl, she had found out. Fortunately, there wasn't any girl present right now.

"Oh, mom! What are you doing here?" Tyler seemed surprised. "Aren't you supposed to be on your way to New York?"

"Hi, Mrs. Lockwood," Jeremy said.

"Hello, Jeremy," Carol greeted back. "Yeah, I _was_ on my way, but take a look outside. They got a storm warning and the flight was cancelled. Well, it can't be helped. I brought some Chinese, in case you're hungry."

* * *

"I'm embarrassed, Jeremy, seriously," Carol Lockwood said, looking at the take-away Chinese boxes she put on the wooden table of the dining room. "Please don't think that stuff like that is all we eat."

"It's fine, Mrs. Lockwood, really," Jeremy replied, taking a bite. Even though he was surprised that Mrs. Lockwood would ever even consider buying fast food, although her entire lifestyle was so noble and expensive, it made him feel quite comfortable to know that deep inside the mayor's family was just like any other ordinary family, too.

"So what have you guys been up to? I hope I didn't interrupt your studies," Carol said, starting to eat.

"It's just a project," Tyler said quickly. "A school project."

Jeremy looked at him. "Yeah…" He was unsure what to reply. "They matched the project partners randomly."

"Totally randomly," Tyler agreed. "We had no influence over that."

"Nope, not the slightest bit."

"I see," Carol replied, slightly wondering why the boys were so eager to stress that fact. "And what is this project about?"

"Math," Tyler said, while Jeremy replied "History".

"Math and history," Jeremy corrected. "It's cross-disciplinary."

"That sounds… well… unusual," Carol replied. "But I'm sure it's interesting."

The boys nodded and everyone turned their focus back to the meal, which was the only thing that kept them from noticing the weird silence.

The red wine Carol had been drinking with her Chinese fast food – probably to stress the fact, that she was normally used to more sophisticated dinners – started to show some effect even before they had finished and suddenly she became rather talkative, to which Jeremy responded surprisingly open.

So Tyler spent the next half an hour listening to their conversation, mostly about school or Jeremy's aunt Jenna, who Carol had known for ages, feeling awkward about his never-to-be-known-boyfriend getting along so well with his mother. Of course, if she knew about all this, Jeremy would experience a fate even worse than Vicky had and, before he even knew it, he would be kicked off the Lockwood estate.

Silently, Tyler sighed. What was he doing anyway? All this, dating a guy, was insane. There was no way they could ever be together, if anyone ever found out. He wondered how long they would be able to keep this up, meeting secretly in the woods, acting like strangers around other people. It was like his curse, always picking someone he couldn't really be with. First Vicky, now Jeremy.

Speaking of curses, there was also this slight other problem around. Only two and a half weeks left until the next full moon… And with what Jules had told him, the second time wouldn't nearly be as harmless as the first time. If he was honest, he was scared about it. He knew he should spend his time preparing for that night, but being with Jeremy was too much of a distraction. Whenever he was with that other boy, the werewolf curse seemed so far away. But, seriously, for how long…

Something poked Tyler's leg and immediately his mind was back in the dining room with Jeremy and his mother. He looked up and saw Jeremy wink at him. It had been his foot under the table. One look at that sly grin was enough to get Tyler's mind off his worries. This was their little secret, which no one else knew about. He stretched his leg, touching Jeremy's foot, while Carol mumbled on happily.

* * *

At half past eleven, Tyler and Jeremy were standing outside the door. It was a cold night, especially compared to the comfortable warmth of the Lockwoods' dining room, and the wind that constantly grew stronger suggested that the approaching storm was not far away.

"Well", Tyler said, "that was the pilot episode of _How you met my mother_."

Jeremy grinned.

"Sorry the evening went the way it did. I had really no idea that she would come back," Tyler whispered. "We should really thank the garden gate. Otherwise we would have been found out and that would have been ugly."

"I thank your ears," Jeremy replied, then he shook his head. "No, tonight was fun, actually. Not the way it had been planned, but still fun." He chuckled. "Seriously. And by the way, we're now even. My aunt and Elena retuning one day early and now your mother did too."

"Yeah, dammit," Tyler growled. "I guess I can't tease you about that anymore."

"Nope," Jeremy agreed. "Those days are over."

"Too bad." Tyler shrugged, looking to the ground. Silence returned for a moment. They were both embarrassed at their goodbye. He just wished he could kiss Jeremy one last time, even though that would be a cold comfort for what they had missed tonight, but his mother could be watching so there was no way he could.

Jeremy understood. "So, I guess, I'll see you around," he said with a shrug and turned around.

"Yeah," Tyler replied. "I'll call you." He put his hands back into his pockets, as he watched Jeremy leave. His fingers touched a piece of paper. _Oh right_. He had almost forgotten about that. Funny thing, it had been there all along, even when it had only been the cloth of his pants that had kept Jeremy from finding it. He pulled the note out and, for a moment, he stared at the number. It was Jules' number.

* * *

**To be continued…**


	8. The Spirits I Called

**Us, Servants to the Moon – Chapter 8**

**Author's Note:** Once again, I'm sorry for the slow update! But here we finally go with the 8th chapter! We're heading towards the climax of the story, only two chapters left after this one! Really hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Sharing a secret with someone else is a thrilling thing. Especially if playing with the risk of someone finding out becomes a dangerous habit like playing with fire. You get addicted to it so easily and still, you know it would be better for you if you just stopped.

One glance across the school yard could be enough, enough to make them both smile on the inside, looking like strangers on the outside. There were a lot of these glances nowadays, stealthy, quick looks, nothing more than the twitch of an eyebrow. And no matter how far they were apart, no matter how many students were standing in their way, their eyes always seemed to find each other so naturally, drawn to one another like magnets. And if someone was trying to find out who they were looking at, as soon as that curious person turned around, there was nothing there except an empty spot on the school yard.

Whenever it was possible, they tried to cross each other's ways, like _accidentally_ standing next to each other in the cafeteria. Tyler especially was very attentive to occasions like that, so when he looked across the football field where Jeremy's class was practicing soccer, and he spotted him leave for the sports equipment shed, he couldn't help excusing himself to grab some water. Fortunately his teacher was okay with it, so Tyler ran across the field, heading for the school building, just to change his direction as soon as he was out of sight, until he reached the door of the sports shed.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're stalking me, Lockwood," Jeremy said with that defying smile that fit him so well. He turned around, just to be caught in Tyler's arms, who pushed him to the wall.

"I am," Tyler confessed, "I've been waiting for a chance to be alone with you all day." He hugged the other boy passionately, laying his head against Jeremy's shoulder.

"I've been thinking," Jeremy said, kissing his hair, "we should really spend some time alone together, soon. And I mean, _really_ alone. It's been almost three weeks now since _that_ night, you know."

"I know. I wish we could," Tyler replied, "but I have no idea how and where. You said we couldn't meet at your place because your sister's room is just next to yours and she could hear us. But we can't meet at my place either, because my mom just loves to bust into my room and I certainly can't lock myself up in there with another guy. I could as well be hanging a rainbow flag from my window."

"Yeah, I get that," Jeremy replied, feeling as disappointed as he thought he'd be. "It's just a bit frustrating."

"I know, Jeremy," Tyler whispered, "but it'll happen again soon, I promise."

"Then, at least, let's meet in the woods tonight. The usual spot. Six o'clock."

"Ah, well… Sorry, I can't," Tyler replied, letting go of Jeremy. "I already got plans for tonight."

Jeremy looked at him. "Okay? And that can't wait?"

Tyler sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall. "I wanted to tell you about this anyway. You remember my uncle Mason?"

Jeremy sat down next to him. "Yeah, of course. Why?"

"I've been thinking a lot about the things Jules said to me. That it was a painful ordeal for werewolves to turn. Well," he shrugged, "to be honest, I'm kind of scared that this might actually be the truth. And the next full moon is less than a week away."

Jeremy kept silent when Tyler looked at him. "So, my uncle must have had some place where he could turn on full moons, and I suspect it to be the ruins of the old Lockwood estate in the woods. I thought maybe I could find something there."

"You wanna go there? Tonight?" Jeremy didn't manage to suppress his excitement. "And you wanted to go there without me? Shame on you!"

Tyler grinned. "I was hoping you'd say that."

"Alright, then it's decided. Six o'clock at the ruins. I'm gonna bring some flashlights."

"You seem so excited."

Jeremy grinned back at him. "Of course, I am. I always wanted to be part of the action, you know that."

"So you're not sad anymore that we won't be able to… _you know_… anytime soon?"

"No, because I'm more interested in adventures than I am interested in you," Jeremy replied bluntly with a playful grin. "I'm just using you to get what I want."

"Ouch," Tyler replied, also grinning, "you're no good for me." With a suggestive smile he leaned forward to kiss him.

* * *

Later this afternoon, there was _book duty_ again at school, as the students called it. The mold that had infected the cellar and parts of the library still hadn't been brought under control, so the school continued to have the students take shifts in order to save the schoolbooks from infection.

Even though it hadn't been planned like this, Jeremy and Tyler got lucky, having their shifts together.

"There is so much work to do this time," Jeremy moaned as he looked at the endless lines of boxes containing books that needed to be sorted out and categorized. "I'm not sure we'll be finished any time soon. Maybe our expedition has to wait until tomorrow."

"Yeah, maybe," Tyler replied, but on the inside, he was feeling disappointed. The approaching full moon burdened him more than he would ever admit. It wouldn't make sense for Jules to lie about the pain just to scare him. He wanted to find out the truth, better today than tomorrow. He needed to find hints telling him that he would be fine, telling him that it hadn't been the biggest mistake of his life to invoke the curse and that he wouldn't have to live with it until the day he died.

"Hey, are you going to help me, or what?" Jeremy suddenly brought him back to reality, trying to lift a heavy box by himself.

"Yeah, of course, sorry," Tyler replied, lending him a hand.

"Hey," a girl's voice said and when Jeremy looked up, he could see a blonde girl standing in the doorframe. "You're on book duty today, right?" she asked and entered. "I'm here to help."

"Oh, okay…" Tyler and Jeremy exchanged glances. "As far as I know, book duty is always done by two people, not three. So why…"

"Mrs. Hill sent me," the girl confessed and suddenly everything became clear.

"Oh right!" Tyler rolled his eyes. "She's scared that we might bash each other's head down here."

"Aw, maybe later…" Jeremy suggested, but then added, as the girl started to pale, "that was a joke, don't worry. We're trying not to let things get rough on school property." He lifted his eyebrow towards Tyler, who winked back at him.

"So what's your name?" Tyler asked, as he turned back to the books. "I'm Tyler and this is Jeremy."

"Zelda", the girl said.

"Zelda?" Jeremy repeated. "Like, in _the Legend of Zelda_?"

"That's such an old joke!" Zelda complained, then however blushed slightly as Tyler commented, "You really look like a pretty princess, though."

That comment earned him a warning glance from Jeremy, but otherwise they accepted her quickly and showed her how she could help.

"It's great, I think we'll finish in no time, like that," Tyler said with a smile. "That means it'll still be light when we get outta here."

"Oh, no! I don't think so," Zelda replied with her head lowered. "It's because we're three people now, that Mrs. Hill told us to help out an extra hour."

"Seriously?" Jeremy turned around. "Not today!"

"You had plans?" Zelda asked.

Jeremy shrugged. "Sort of."

"Me too," Tyler added quickly. "I've got an appointment at 6 o'clock…"

Zelda sighed. "Well, actually I'm planning to go on a date with Kyle next week, so maybe I could stay and finish alone today, and next week the both of you will cover for me instead? How's that?"

Tyler and Jeremy looked at each other. "Yeah, sure, that would be great! Thanks!"

"No problem," Zelda grinned. "I'm happy that way, too."

"So, Kyle's your boyfriend?" Tyler asked, ignoring a weird glance from Jeremy. After all, he was known for hitting on girls, so there was no way he would draw others' suspicion on him.

"Actually, she's my girlfriend," Zelda chuckled.

An uncomfortable silence suddenly filled the room. Jeremy swallowed, unable to look up, focusing on the books he was sorting out.

Tyler, on the other hand, stared at Zelda, eyes wide open.

The girl just shrugged and smiled. "I'm not making a big deal out of it. It's just the way it is."

"I see," Tyler replied, clearing his throat. "So where exactly is the box with the grammar books?"

"I'll take care of that," Zelda announced. "You should leave, we decided on that, right? Just don't forget to help me out next Thursday, okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Jeremy replied, suddenly very keen on getting out of here. "We'll see you on Thursday, then, and thanks again."

Zelda nodded. "Great. Till next week."

* * *

It started to get dark when Tyler and Jeremy reached the ruins of the ancient Lockwood mansion.

There was debris everywhere, the remains of what used to be thick stone walls leading the way to the center. It was hard to imagine that all this once used to be a real house, a nice place to live. Now, even the small stairway leading down into the ground looked all but welcoming.

Jeremy handed Tyler one of the flashlights he had brought along.

"We should have done this while the sun was still shining," Tyler growled, as he took the first step down into the darkness.

Jeremy switched on his flashlight, following his friend, careful not to trip up on the crumbly stone steps. "It's pitch black down there, anyway, so I don't think that would have made a lot of difference."

The first cellar room they reached had been vandalized, graffiti covering the walls, empty liquor bottles on the floor.

"It's a popular place for kids to come here, especially if there's a party close by in the woods," Tyler explained. "I guess there's a lot of weird stuff going on down here sometimes."

"I can imagine," Jeremy replied. "Maybe we should try this place too, if we want some alone time."

"I doubt that would be very comfortable," Tyler suggested, then pointed at a grille door across the room. "This is where the fun ends," he said. "This one's locked, so the kids can't get any further." He pulled out a key ring, using one of them to unlock the door. "Come on."

A corridor led them further into the darkness, the air getting even cooler and more humid.

"That girl, Zelda," Jeremy started after a while, "she sure caught us by surprise, didn't she?"

"Oh, come on, let's not talk about her right now," Tyler replied. "She's a girl and that Kyle girl is a girl, too, and there are different standards for girls and guys." He entered an empty room to the left, followed by another seemingly endless corridor. "I mean, let's just look at the facts. Two girls making out – that's so hot. On the other hand, two dudes… man, that's kind of icky."

"Alright…" Jeremy snorted. "So you find us icky."

"Well," Tyler grinned over his shoulder, "I don't have to watch us."

Jeremy sighed after a while. "I just wish it would be as easy for us as it is for her. I mean, just standing there, saying 'I don't make a big deal out of it'."

"Yeah, I know," Tyler said with a serious voice. "It would be nice, but I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon." He pointed the flashlight at a grille at the end of the corridor. "We're there."

This room was indeed different from any other room they've seen down here. Sure, the entire place was run down and rotting, but the destruction inside this one room was extraordinary. Entire parts of the walls had been smashed down, various wood slats were torn to shreds. And on the walls, everywhere around them, were massive claw marks.

"My God," Jeremy said breathlessly as he took a closer look at them. "I'm pretty sure you were right about this place."

"This is insane! Look at that!" Tyler pointed his flashlight to the ground. There were chains lying around – thick, strong metal chains connected to the walls. On one side of the room, there was something like a giant cage, some of the bars, however, had been bent.

Tyler started getting nervous. Something was odd about this place. It literally screamed of pain and suffering. No, whatever he had hoped to find down here, this was not it. The longer he stared at the chains and the cage, the harder it became for him to breathe. "Let's get out of here," he gasped. "I've seen enough."

"Maybe not." Jeremy turned around, holding a small item in his hand. "Found this over there."

"What's that?" Tyler wanted to know, leaning against the wall for support.

"A flash drive, apparently. Someone must have put it here. Maybe it was your – Tyler? What's wrong? You look so pale."

"I'm fine." Tyler swallowed. "I just need some fresh air. Let's get out of here."

* * *

"Are you feeling better now?" Jeremy said, sitting down on the bed of Tyler's room.

"Yeah, thanks," Tyler replied. "I don't know what's gotten into me. Maybe it was the bad air down there."

"Let's take a look at the flash drive, shall we?"

"Sure. I'll just get us something to drink, okay? Are you alright with coke?"

"Yeah, sure," Jeremy replied and moved over to Tyler's desk, starting the pc, while Tyler left the room to fetch the drinks. He started playing with the flash drive in his hand waiting for the notebook to finish booting. Then his eyes unwillingly started to look around. The desk wasn't exactly what you could call tidy, school books and magazines had been piled up, along with random sketches and scribbles. Jeremy looked closer at a few of them. Some of them were early versions of a portrait of Mrs. Lockwood. Jeremy smiled. Tyler was obviously trying hard to imitate Jeremy's drawing style.

Then suddenly he noticed a small note covered by ragged school books. He didn't know why exactly that one piece of paper caught his attention, but then again, it was so suspicious, half hidden there under the books, Jeremy couldn't help but pull it out. There was a number on it, a cell phone number. Then he read the name that had been written above it with hasty handwriting. _Jules_.

Tyler kicked the door open, balancing a tray in his hands, and Jeremy startled, hastily putting the note into his pocket.

"What's wrong?" Tyler asked playfully. "Did I scare you?"

"No," Jeremy replied, a little startled, "I was just –"

"You were just about to browse through my files, weren't you?" Tyler guessed with a wink.

"Yeah, right, you caught me there." Jeremy was grateful to play along with the joke. "But damn, you were so fast."

"Sorry to disappoint you. Maybe you'll be luckier next time."

"Hopefully. Oh, thanks." He accepted the coke Tyler was handing him and put it on the desk. Then, with Tyler sitting down on the chair next to him, he plugged the drive into the computer.

Anxiously they stared at the screen, until finally a folder popped up, containing nothing but a simple video file.

"Should I start it?" Jeremy asked, grabbing the mouse.

"Yeah, please."

He clicked on the file, the video player initializing. Then the playback started.

"It's almost time," a male voice whispered from somewhere while the camera was shaken around wildly, until it was placed on some ledge, from where it was able to show a rather wide angle of the room. Suddenly a man walked across the screen, wearing nothing except for a pair of black shorts. He turned around to look at the camera.

"It's uncle Mason," Tyler immediately whispered. "So I was right after all."

"You think he recorded his transformation?" Jeremy looked at him. "Why would he do that?"

"I have no idea," Tyler replied, too fascinated by the video to look away.

Mason walked around the room in a haze for a few couple of minutes, seemingly carrying around some heavy objects, but the recording was too dark to recognize what exactly it was. Then, after a while, he sat down on the ground and something around his wrist reflected the dim light barely illuminating the scene. Something that looked like a metal wristband.

"Did he just chain himself up?" Jeremy asked unbelievingly. "This is sick!"

A cough overmodulated the audio recording, then suddenly Mason fell to the ground, breathing heavily. He groaned, suddenly squirming with pain, twitching unnaturally, until he started screaming and yelling in pain. Something changed with his body, but it was too dark to see.

Jeremy shook his head, speechless. "This is nothing like your transformation! I mean, I didn't actually watch, because I was – well – dead. But still…"

"It's horrible," Tyler hissed, suddenly closing the notebook. "You know, before she left, Jules told me that it would be like this… Painful, unbearable. But _this_ – this is a thousand times worse than I'd feared." The look in Tyler's eyes had gone blank. "What have we done?" he whispered.

"But you didn't have any pain the last time! It doesn't make any sense! Maybe for some werewolves it's painful, for others it isn't?" Jeremy looked at him. He was desperately trying to find an explanation.

"I don't think so, Jeremy," Tyler said with a sigh. "I think it's more likely it didn't hurt the first time, because the transformation started so close to sunrise. It's the slow, lengthy process that makes it an ordeal. Last time it happened so fast. I didn't get the chance to feel anything. But this time, the transformation will begin after sunset, so plenty of time to make me suffer."

Jeremy hung his head. "I'm so sorry. If I had known about this, I would have never talked you into this whole werewolf thing."

"I could have said no, but I didn't," Tyler replied, "so it's not your fault. It can't be helped now. I'll have to get through this, there is no other way. I just wished that video would have shown something else. Something a little more relieving."

Jeremy put his hand on Tyler's arm. "I know I can't do much, but I promise you I'll think of something. I'll do anything I can to help you get through this night."

Tyler looked up at Jeremy, a faint, tormented smile on his lips. "Thanks." Then he stood up, turned around and walked out of the room.

Jeremy looked after him, sadness and remorse weighing heavy on him. He didn't want to hurt Tyler, to make him suffer, but without knowing it, he already had. For a while he stared back at the flash drive still plugged into the notebook, then out of the window. The moon broke through the clouds.

* * *

The next few days, Jeremy skipped school. For hours and hours he was sitting in his room, in front of his computer, searching the internet for any clues he could get. But most of the information he found was based on fiction and stories, only very little seemed to be related to the actual werewolf curse that ran through the Lockwood bloodline.

A few times his cellphone started ringing, Tyler's number appearing on the display, but Jeremy didn't have the guts to answer. The next time he talked to Tyler, he wanted to be able to present him a solution, a great and simple way of suppressing the transformation or changing it into a painless process. From the bottom of his heart – he felt that he owed it to Tyler.

On Friday afternoon he went to the local library, searching for a more reliable source on the Lockwood family curse. A book, maybe, an ancient family chronicle. Most of the books, however, kept silent about the dark secret Jeremy was looking for, instead stressing the noble legacy of the Lockwoods as one of Mystic Fall's founding families, whose history ran back to the Vikings and several other Scandinavian tribes. Maybe some interesting facts for a genealogist, but of no use for Jeremy. Disappointed and tired, Jeremy was about to go home again, when this new insight gave him an idea. One last try, he promised himself, and instead of searching for _werewolf_ or _curse_ associated with the Lockwood family, he tried searching for ancient curses of the Viking mythology. And indeed, there was a book on that.

Jeremy couldn't believe his success for a few moments. If there was anything on werewolf curses at all, it had to be covered by this one book. He took it from the shelf, flipping through the pages quickly, until he went back to the counter in order to borrow it for four weeks.

At home, he lay down on his bed, hesitatingly opening the book. If it didn't contain the answers he was looking for, all his hopes would be destroyed in a just a few minutes. So he swallowed, prepared to take that chance, and started reading.

The pages were old, worn, telling various tales about gods, spirits and ghosts. Mythical stories, just as Jeremy had expected. He quickly read over them, learning that the moon actually played an important role in many of the myths. About halfway through the book, he found a chapter that told the story of an _unknown evil_ that befell sinners walking through the night when the moonlight was bright enough to expose the real nature of their souls.

Jeremy held his breath. He had found it! The text was talking about the werewolf curse! So it did exist back then, he had been right about it. With rising anxiety he read over the words, line by line, page by page. It said, that once a person committed a sin so grave, that they would pale when faced with the God of the Night, their blood would be cursed always and forevermore, forced to be passed on from generation to generation to all people who shared the same blood and the same impure soul. The punishment for this terrible sin was to endure the unbearable pain of becoming what they really were in their deepest soul, when exposed to the moon's revealing light.

That pain, the story stated, was the very purpose of that curse. Nothing could be done to ease it, let alone prevent it.

Jeremy stared on the words that shattered his hopes so explicitly.

The full moon would come and Tyler would suffer.

* * *

September, 20th, was the night of the full moon. It was a warm and sunny day, the weather not matching the way Tyler felt at all.

In fact, he was miserable from the moment he woke up in the morning. Tonight would be the night, he thought like an animal led to the slaughter. During class, he sat there apathetically, waiting for each single minute to finally go by.

Jeremy came by his place after school, trying to cheer him up a little bit, even though he looked stressed and uneasy himself. He really wanted to make Tyler feel better somehow, but he had no idea what to say to make it easier.

At half past six they took the car to drive to the ruins in the woods. Tyler didn't say a word as they went down to the room with the chains and the cage. Slowly he started to tie himself up, just like Mason had done, too, in order to make sure he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone during that night. Anyone except himself.

When Jeremy looked down at him sitting on the cold ground, with his hands and legs tied to the chains – with his head lowered and his expression so miserable – he couldn't help feeling sad and guilty about putting Tyler in such a horrible position. It was his fault and he regretted it so much.

"Here," Jeremy said, sitting down next to his friend, "take these."

"What are these?" Tyler wanted to know. "Drugs?"

"Hell, no!" Jeremy replied. "They're just ordinary painkillers. You gotta give me more credit."

"I do," Tyler snorted. "I once swore to myself: never take any pills from Jeremy Gilbert! What better time to break that vow than now?" A bitter grin crossed his face as he swallowed the pill, Jeremy returning that same sad smile for a moment. "You know, I think you should leave now. The sun's about to set."

Jeremy, however, shook his head. "I'm staying with you. I brought you into this position in the first place. I'm not leaving now. I'm staying with you."

"Don't be stupid," Tyler replied. "This is no game. You could get killed."

A smug smile appeared on Jeremy's face, as he lifted his left hand. "No, actually I couldn't."

The ring! Tyler had forgotten about it, but there it was! He couldn't say why, but the sight of the ring made him feel relieved somehow, or maybe it was the prospect of Jeremy staying?

"Alright," Tyler whispered, "but in that case..." He grabbed the role of tape from behind, taking Jeremy's left hand with his right one. Then he fixed the tape to the ring, wrapping it around Jeremy's ring finger multiple times. It looked weird, almost like a tiny cast, but it would be safe.

"Wow, romantic," Jeremy commented. "_Yes, I do_."

"Shut up! It's so that you don't accidentally lose it. Because..." he looked at Jeremy, stroking his head, "I couldn't bear to be without you."

Jeremy looked back at him, but instead of replying, he simply leaned forward, catching Tyler's lips in a gentle, heartfelt kiss. They hugged tightly, holding each other as the last sunbeams disappeared behind the horizon.

The room became visibly darker than before and Jeremy noticed that Tyler had stopped breathing. Scared, he looked at his friend, patting his cheek, calling his name.

Then everything happened faster than Jeremy could react. A hand grabbed his shoulder, stronger, bigger than Tyler's hand had been before, pushing him away with inhuman force.

At the same moment Tyler fell to his knees, screaming, suffering. Like a wounded animal, he curled and squirmed on the ground. His body started transforming, gradually losing any trace of human appearance, turning into something bigger, something wilder, something more dangerous.

Jeremy stumbled back on his feet, watching the awful sight from afar.

"Leave!" It was merely a roar that reached Jeremy's ears.

What? What had he done? He had created a monster, a beast, that was hurting someone he cared about, and now trying to break free, to cut off the chains, to escape – all in order to satisfy its thirst for blood.

A dangerously loud bang resounded throughout the room, Jeremy running for the grille. He needed to get out of here, fast, the creature already snatching at him with its deadly claws. Then he could hear the chains break, the raging beast rushing across the room.

Panic made Jeremy run faster, along the corridors, slamming doors and stumbling across debris, the roaring creatures merely inches away from him. He felt his heart beating so hard that it resounded inside his ears, his breath so fast and cold that it hurt his lungs.

Then there they were, the stairs, the path that lead him out of this dungeon, out of this grave. He took the first steps at once, suddenly falling down, a claw rasping his leg. He had to go on, crawling up the stairs almost as if he was a wolf himself, then he felt the bright moonlight against his skin. He fell down into the soft, moist grass, as the beast leaped over him, growling.

He didn't see it, but he heard it. A gunshot, coming from somewhere nearby. He lifted his head, as he saw the wolf falling injured to the ground, next to him. He stared into the animal's eyes, unfamiliar and alien, but he recognized the color. The color of Tyler's eyes.

"That's it," Damon said, putting the gun away. "That threat is eliminated."

* * *

The first beams of sunlight softly fell through the basement window of the Salvatore mansion. A quiet, beautiful morning.

Elena silently wrapped the bandage around Jeremy's bleeding leg. "There you go," she said, after a while. "That should do it, until we got you to a doctor."

The door to the small room was opened and Stefan and Damon entered.

Immediately, Jeremy was back on his feet. "Are you crazy?" he yelled at the brothers, pointing at Tyler, who was – back in his human form – lying unconscious on a plank in the cell of the Salvatores' cellar. Chains were linking his arms and legs to the wall. "You can't do this to him! You shot him!"

"It was just a tranquilizer shot. He would have killed innocent people if we hadn't caught him, Jeremy," Stefan explained. "He's a dangerous threat to all of Mystic Falls."

"And the fact that he ignored our agreement just makes it worse," Damon added, strict. "You should thank us for suspecting something like that. I wonder what you would have done if we hadn't been around, waiting for something like that to happen."

"What agreement?" Jeremy hissed back. "To send a boy away from his home, his family, on his own? Is that what you want?"

"Jeremy", Elena tried to calm him down, but Jeremy started at her, angry.

"How can you do this to another person? Just look at him! You've chained him up as if he was some kind of wild animal."

"Actually, he is," Stefan reminded him.

Damon rolled his eyes. "Alright, I think we should stop questioning your sanity and start questioning your loyalty."

"Just let him go!" Jeremy demanded. "The full moon is over!"

"There'll be another," Damon said as the three of them left the cellar and went up the stairs back into the living room.

"Wait!" Jeremy ran after them. "You're not saying you're gonna keep him locked up like this forever?"

"We'll decide what to do with him later," Stefan replied.

Even Elena seemed to agree. She looked back at her younger brother. "It's for the best, Jeremy, believe me."

"Yeah, right," Jeremy hissed back. "And where are you going, anyway?"

"We'll be out on a dog hunt," Damon replied quickly. "Catching that female of his."

"Jules?" Jeremy stopped. "She's not around anymore!"

"Oh yeah, she _is_ around," Damon turned to him. "She said so herself: A werewolf can never be on his own." Then he looked back at Elena and Stefan. "We'll get her, before she runs."

"Just stay here, Jeremy," Elena ordered. "We'll talk about this later."

"Let's go," Stefan said and left for the door, Elena and Damon following.

The door closed behind them and Jeremy was on his own, dumped like a little kid. It made him even angrier, but the thing that bothered him the most was the way these guys acted – so aloof, like they were the only ones who had the brains to decide what was right or wrong. They were planning on hurting Tyler, even more than Jeremy had hurt him already. "Shit!" he hissed, angry at himself, angry at the world, frustrated. He kicked a chair with his injured leg.

Minutes later, he went back down to the cellar with a gloomy look on his face. The door to the cell had been left unlocked, because the chains tied to Tyler's arms and legs were strong enough to keep him right where they wanted him to stay.

When Jeremy looked down at him – his eyes closed peacefully as if he was asleep – he realized what he had done to him. He had been reckless enough to think it would be fun to create a werewolf, selfish enough to ignore all the pain and suffering it would cause to someone else. Someone he liked.

Crestfallen, he sat down on the plank where Tyler lay, taking his head on his lap, staring into the darkness of the cell. Casually, his fingers started tracing through Tyler's damp, black hair, twirling random strands between his fingers. Slow, monotone movements, as the cell got darker and darker. Like this, he sat there for what seemed like forever.

Outside, Elena turned her head away from the door crack, staring at the stone floor of the cellar for a moment. Little by little, she came to realize. Without making a noise, she went up the stairs, hurrying after Stefan and Damon.

Half an hour later, Jeremy had come to a decision. Hesitatingly he took out his cellphone and dialed a number he had kept in his pocket for days with trembling fingers. "Hello?" he said with a sore voice, "this is Jeremy Gilbert."

* * *

**To be continued…**


	9. Pack of Wolves

**Us, Servants to the Moon – Chapter 9**

Author's Note: Finally, I managed to finish the latest chapter of this fic. It's actually the longest of this story so far, so please enjoy! The next chapter is going to be the story's finale!

* * *

On days like these, time always seemed to run slower than usual. On days like these, when it felt just like one of those magical, everlasting summer days, on which you could hear the chirr of the crickets all the way from when the sun reaches its zenith and starts to move down again till the middle of the night, when it is still warm enough to spend the night underneath the twinkling starlit sky. Days like these seemed to last forever.

And even though today was long past summer, the unusual warm temperature reminded them of exactly that feeling.

Jeremy playfully let his legs dangle in the water, looking ever the glittering blue surface of the lake as far as he could. On the other side, the tall firs and spruces were swaying slightly in the gentle wind.

"Here you go." Tyler sat down on the rocks next to him, handing him one of the popsicles they had brought along. "Be careful, it's already melting."

"Yes, mom, I'll try to be careful." With a wink he took a bite. "'licious."

"Hey, I was just trying to be nice," Tyler defended in a playful way. "We wouldn't want you to spill your clothes. Otherwise you would have to take a bath. In the lake."

Jeremy raised his eyebrows, smirking. "Well, I just might, if you join me."

"Aw, tempting," Tyler replied, leaning forward to steal a kiss, until he felt his own popsicle dripping on his hand. "Oh well…," he grinned, "I should be worried more about myself."

"You should." For a moment Jeremy just sat there and enjoyed the perfectness of the moment. It was true. Days like these seemed to last forever.

Still, when he thought back to last night, it was a little miracle that they were now sitting here together, enjoying the day. When he thought of it, his mind became a little darker, a little more troubled. Maybe it was just pretense, the way they sat here by the lake, maybe it was nothing more than sheer denial.

But then, on the other hand, it was just as Tyler had told him: _If this entire shit is really going to happen to me once a month, then at least I wanna enjoy the parts in between._

It was his right. And Jeremy would do anything to make it possible.

* * *

"_Going home?"_

_He met Damon on the stairs that led up from the cellar. For a moment he looked at him, then he silently passed him, without giving a reply._

"_Hey, Jeremy."_

"_What." The look in his eyes said but one thing: I'm done with you._

"_Stop acting like that. It won't help." For once, Damon seemed all serious. No sarcasm, no wit._

"_Yeah, thanks," Jeremy snorted. "Excuse me, I just wanna get outta here, before you start torturing your prisoner or whatever you're planning to do."_

"_Oh, don't give me any ideas." And there he was again. Back to his usual self. "No, stupid," he replied, "I'm here to let your puppy go." As if to stress his words, he took out a key, waving it around before Jeremy's face._

"_Ts, nice try."_

"_Well, if you don't believe me, then don't."_

_Jeremy sighed, putting his hands on his hips. "A few hours ago you told me you would keep him locked up in your cellar like… forever."_

"_I would," Damon replied, totally honest. Then he frowned, leaning forward to Jeremy, as if he was about to tell him a secret. "You can thank your sister for that."_

* * *

Right now, he was still wondering what Damon had meant by those words, but in the end, it didn't really matter. The vampire had kept his word and freed Tyler from his imprisonment, before the boy had even awakened from his blackout. So technically, he didn't even know what Elena and her friends had been planning on doing to him, and Jeremy glad for it. No questions – no answers.

"Ow, dark, gloomy face…" Tyler was looking at him from the side. "Come on, it's such a beautiful day."

"Yeah, I know," Jeremy replied, trying to look cheerful again. Tyler was probably assuming that Jeremy was troubled by the whole werewolf stuff and the transformation, when he was actually musing about what kind of threat Elena and her friends posed to Tyler. But he couldn't tell him, of course not.

"Look, Jeremy, I already told you," Tyler stretched, looking up at the sky, sighing, "what happened last night was… horrible. And I don't even wanna think about it. So let's not. It is what it is and it can't be changed. The next full moon will come, but until then, there'll be twenty seven other days and I wanna enjoy _them_ at least, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, I'm sorry." Jeremy cracked a bittersweet smile. "That wasn't what I've been thinking about."

"Then what?"

"Ah, it's nothing," Jeremy shook his head. "Just something about my sister."

"About Elena?" Tyler became worried. "What about her? You can tell me."

"Seriously, it's nothing. Just some trivial bother-sister-quarrel. You don't have siblings, so you wouldn't know."

"Hm." Tyler looked back at the lake. "I've always been wondering what it's like to have a sister, though. Being an only child isn't always easy either."

Jeremy snorted. He was glad that the conversation was now heading in a different direction, so he replied gladly. "Well, a sister is kind of annoying most of the time, but then again, if she's a big sister, then she brings home lots of pretty friends."

"Wait, you were into Elena's friends?" Tyler laughed. "Seriously?"

Jeremy just shrugged, a bit embarrassed. "Well, I guess all brothers are into their sister's friends at some time…"

"Like who?"

Jeremy looked back at Tyler. "What do you mean, _who_?"

Tyler seemed amused, almost excited to know. "Who were you into?"

Jeremy scratched his head, shyly. "Geez, what kind of questions is that?"

"I'm serious!"

"I dunno…," he murmured quietly. "I kind of always liked Bonnie."

"Bonnie Bennett?" Tyler yelled, as if he had just found out Jeremy's biggest, unexpected secret.

"What?" Jeremy frowned. "She's not that bad."

"I didn't say that."

"Then why are you laughing?"

Tyler shook his head, brushing a tear from his eye. "Man, I don't know… It's just… Bonnie, she's not very similar to Vicky."

"Yeah, well," Jeremy snapped back, "you're not very similar to Vicky either."

"But I'm not a girl," he snorted. "And I'm not many of the other things that she was."

"Oh, come on!" Jeremy turned to him, indignantly. "Stop talking about her like that."

"Stop defending her all the time, Jeremy," Tyler replied. "Don't you see that she was just playing with you? With both of us? And not just us."

Jeremy breathed out sharply. "I don't think so." He really didn't want to have a fight, not today, but the way Tyler was talking about Vicky… Almost as if he never truly had been in love with her. Well, maybe Tyler hadn't been, but Jeremy knew he, himself, had been very well. He had always known.

And Tyler didn't drop the discussion. "Vicky's been around the block back and forth, believe me."

"Stop it. That's not true."

"Yeah, it is. I know what I'm talking about, Jeremy, okay?" Then he shook his head and sighed. "I just wonder if there'll ever be day for us to be together without either of us mentioning her name…"

Jeremy didn't reply. Instead, he just stared back at Tyler. The look on his face told him that the next thing he was about to say, would hurt.

"You know, if we're being honest, we have nothing in common. Nothing at all. And less so, now that I'm a werewolf. How could you understand?" Tyler shook his head apologetically, "well maybe we're with each other because of Vicky in the first place. Maybe she is the one thing that keeps us together after all."

Jeremy nodded, disappointed. "Yeah, well, if you really think that, after all of this," he breathed in, "after all the effort I put into finding a solution that would make you better, after all my desperate struggle to make up for what I did to you, after all it cost me – again and again – to accept that I wanna be with you…" He stood up, looking down at Tyler. "I actually don't think Vicky is what keeps us together. She is what keeps us apart." He took one last look at Tyler, then he turned around, grabbed his bag and got onto his bike.

* * *

When Jeremy rode back home, through the woods and down the hills, he had this feeling several times that Tyler would coming after him to apologize. He heard a rustle here and there, as if someone had been following him. But Tyler didn't appear.

The further away from the lake Jeremy got, the more stupid he felt about his unnecessary fight with Tyler. He had overacted. It had just been some unimportant conversation after all. That wasn't worth it, to throw everything they had away. Besides, they had so much graver problems than Vicky and who she was or whatever she was. Jeremy knew, and still, he couldn't stand it whenever Vicky was wronged.

Maybe it wasn't Tyler's fault for seeing the bad in everything and everyone, though. This entire ordeal he had to go through last full moon must have taken his faith in all goodness away. And Jeremy still knew that it was his fault, that he had been the one to bring Tyler into this situation, for a selfish and silly reason.

A wolf cannot be on his own. Jeremy knew that now. And soon, Tyler wouldn't have to be anymore. That was the least that Jeremy could do to make amends for what he had done to Tyler. While riding his bike further down towards Mystic Falls, he took out his mobile phone from his pocket and switched on the display. Just now, there was a new text from Jules. The letters glowed on the display. "Meet me at the Grill tonight."

He hesitated for a moment and wanted to put the phone away again, when suddenly something appeared on the road right in his way and he had to brake hard. The wheel of his bike slid away in the mud, he couldn't hold his balance anymore and fell down to the ground with the bike's pedal scratching his leg. "Aw…" he squinted his eyes in pain, then he tried to get back on his feet.

Only a few seconds later, when he turned around, he realized what was lying on the road right in front of him. It was a person, cuddled up and breathing only faintly. Then he noticed all the blood.

Jeremy held his breath in shock. "Oh my God!" he screamed, falling on his knees beside the injured girl. He placed his hand on her shoulder and slowly turned her around. When he saw her face, he stared at her, appalled. He recognized her face immediately. It was Zelda, the girl he and Tyler had met at school.

* * *

It had already gotten dark when Jeremy arrived at the hospital. It felt weird being there, because somewhere deep inside his mind he was feeling responsible for what had happened to Zelda. Sure, Jules must have been around even before he called her, but instead of making it worse, instead of begging her to come back, he should have chased her away, he should have gotten rid of her the first time he had met her. Get her away from his friends, from his life. And also from Tyler. Whatever he had hoped she could be to Tyler, whatever he had wished, all his hopes had been shattered by this one moment today in the woods, when he had found Zelda almost bitten to death, dying in her own blood. He now knew more certain than ever that she was not the solution to Tyler's ordeals, she was, on the contrary, an even bigger threat. He must have been out of his mind to call her, to ask her for help, her, a cold blooded murderer. She had nothing to teach Tyler.

Jeremy asked for Zelda's room. Then he took the elevator to the third flood. It was a small room at the end of the hallway. Visiting hours would be over soon, he noticed.

Slowly he knocked on the door and after a while, a girl's voice called back.

He opened the door and entered with a heavy heart.

There were two beds next to each other in the small room. The one closer to the door was empty. Zelda was lying in the one next to the window. Her chest and shoulders were covered in bandages, that much could be seen through the white hospital gown they had dressed her in. Two tiny pipes led from a medical device next to the bed into her nose. The air smelled of hospital. She wasn't conscious.

A black haired girl sitting on a chair next to the bed looked over to Jeremy and waved at him to come closer. She seemed to be about the same age as Zelda, however her make-up was much more dramatic than he remembered Zelda's, and that made her look somehow more adult. "You must be Jeremy Gilbert, right? I'm Kyle, her girlfriend."

"Nice to meet you, Kyle," Jeremy replied, shaking her hand. "How come you know me?"

"Zelda showed you to me once during lunch break. She told me about you and Tyler Lockwood at one point. You're together with her on book duty at school, right?"

"Yeah, that's right." Jeremy took another chair and dragged it next to Kyle's. "How is she?"

"Could be worse," Kyle replied quietly. "The doctors say she might get better soon, and if we're lucky, there might be little permanent damage."

"I'm so sorry about what happened to her," Jeremy replied with a guileful sigh.

"Thanks, but it's not your fault. Quite the contrary." Kyle looked at him with her dark eyes. "If you hadn't found her, then she might have bled to death. You saved her, Jeremy."

"It was just a coincidence," Jeremy replied. "But I'm glad I didn't come too late."

"We all are." She looked back at Zelda. "I told her not to go into the woods on her own anymore, you know, after the thing that happened to Mary Farlane on the Foundation Festival. But it was her usual jogging hike and she assured me it was safe." Kyle made a pause. "God, it gives me the chills to think she could now be as dead as Mary."

For a while, Jeremy stared at the injured girl in silence. Then he turned to back to Kyle. "How long have the two of you been together?"

"Almost two years now," Kyle explained. Then she looked at him from the side. "And what about you and Tyler?" There was a knowing spark in Kyle's eyes.

"What?" Jeremy stared back at her in shock. "No! No... We're just friends."

"Are you sure? When Zelda showed me who you were, you were on the school yard talking to him. You know, I have a sense for stuff like that."

Jeremy sighed, staring at the floor. "Is it that obvious?" He swallowed. Now, for the first time, someone else knew the truth. Someone knew who he really was. It felt sickening.

"Not at all!" Kyle reassured him quickly. "It takes one to know one, you know."

"I see..."

"And no worries, my lips are sealed." The heartwarming smile she gave him made him relax. Maybe this was a good thing after all?

"So how long have the two of you been together?"

"About a month, I guess," Jeremy replied.

"Ah, so it's a rather fresh romance then, huh? How exciting."

"Yeah, but it's also hard and sometimes annoying. Not to be able to go out on a real date, always being careful not to be seen... Sometimes I think it would be best if everyone just knew. But then again, I'm not sure if I could stand the looks they would give us. What they would think of us, no offense."

"None taken," Kyle replied, then she stretched her arms. "Well, if I were you, I wouldn't do anything rash right now. You shouldn't come out from one day to the next. Things like that take time. Don't do anything you're not comfortable with. Don't tell anyone you don't want to tell. That's what I learned from my own story. But someday you'll find the courage to tell your family, your friends. And then, one day, you'll realize that you've already told everyone you want to." She gave him an excusing shrug. "I know, not much of a plan, sorry."

"No, not at all, it was great to hear your opinion."

"But hey, I got another idea. If you want to keep it to yourself for now, then why don't we all go on a double date sometime? As soon as Zelda's better, I mean. You, her, Tyler and me."

"You would do that?" Jeremy liked the idea. "That would be awesome, seriously."

"Great," Kyle replied with a smile. "Then it's a date." She turned around to look at Zelda. "You hear that? You have to get better soon. Everyone's waiting."

* * *

When Jeremy left the hospital, it was half past nine and it had started drizzling. Dark clouds were covering the still almost full moon, and when Jeremy looked up, cold raindrops dripped into his eyes.

The yellow sign of the bus stop glowed pulsating in the dark. He could just go there and wait. The next bus would arrive in seven minutes, pick him up and bring him home safely. He could. But he didn't.

With narrowed eyes he looked up at the hospital room Zelda was in. The lights were still on and there was a silhouette standing in front of the window. Kyle.

"_Aren't you coming, too?" Jeremy had asked her when he had grabbed his bag._

"_Not yet," she had replied. "I'm going to wait until her parents arrive. They're both on late shift."_

They would suffer, too, her parents, Jeremy thought and turned his head away from the hospital. And all because of him. He had called Jules, a monster, and begged her to come back. He had originated Zelda's tragedy. But then again, he just had done it to help someone else, to help Tyler get better. His intentions had been good, but that didn't change that it had been the wrong thing to do.

Jeremy walked past the bus stop through the rain. The cool raindrops felt good somehow, comforting. He started wandering around aimlessly.

Yeah, he had done it for Tyler. Tyler. The one whose suffering he had also originated. A devilish chain that almost made him feel dizzy.

It didn't matter now. When he thought of Jules, nothing else seemed to matter anymore. She made him think of the killed girl in the woods, of Zelda lying in her own blood, of Kyle and her parents standing next to her bed, helpless. Jules was a monster, nothing more, and all Jeremy knew now was that he should keep her away from Mystic Falls, away from his family, away from his friends. And away from Tyler.

Especially from Tyler. Just the thought of her coming near him made his skin crawl. She would turn him into a monster like herself. She would make him a ruthless killer. But Tyler wasn't like that. Tyler was good and honest – the thought of him being destined to kill someone to invoke the curse had preyed on his mind like crazy. He mustn't be sullied by someone as horrible as Jules.

Jeremy crossed the street, running, uneasy, and turned round the corner, until he was standing in the middle of the road that led across the bridge. The bridge where his parents had died in this horrible accident years ago. It still hurt being here, but at the same time he couldn't think of any better place to be.

He knew what he had to do. He knew the solution to the entire mess. It was right in his head. Had been all the time. He just hadn't dared to think it.

"There you are," Tyler suddenly said, grabbing Jeremy's arm. His voice revealed that he was caught between relief and accusation. "I've been looking for you everywhere." The rain fell down on both of them, almost gently, spraying. "I feel horrible about earlier." He held onto Jeremy's arm, as if he never wanted to let him go again. "I don't want anything to keep us apart."

Jeremy was holding onto the rail of the bridge, clutching it so tight that his knuckles showed white.

For a moment Tyler thought Jeremy was considering to jump.

But instead, he looked at Tyler over his shoulder. "This place holds a special significance to me," he began. "Two years ago, our parents died here in a car accident."

"I know," Tyler said, his grip tightening further. Just tight enough to hold him back – in case. "Everyone knows that tragic story."

Jeremy took in a deep breath, staring down at the pitch black water running underneath them. "On that day, right here in this place, my life changed forever. Drastically. And it changed for the worse."

Tyler breathed unevenly. The rain became heavier. "I'm sorry."

"Tyler," Jeremy said, suddenly turning to face him. "I'm going to change it again, right here, right now. And this time for the better."

There was a look in Jeremy's eyes that Tyler couldn't read. HIs usual excitement was gone, so was his sometimes almost childlike enthusiasm. There was sincerity in his eyes, a look, as if he was aware of all the consequences, of all the obstacles, and willing to take whatever was necessary. Tyler hadn't seen that look before. It scared him, but he also couldn't help admiring Jeremy for being the way he was.

The moonlight fell through the pouring rain down on the trees beyond the bridge, drawing glittering patterns on the dusty asphalt.

"Tyler," Jeremy said, reaching for Tyler's shoulder, to turn him around to face him. Then he looked him in the eyes and he knew that it had been the right choice. "If you will be my family, then I will be yours." He paused. "Make me – make me a werewolf."

* * *

The moon waned and waxed again, days passing with almost endless slowness. Jeremy spent most of the time sitting at his desk, flipping through the book from the library, taking notes, typing something into his computer. There _had_ to be a way for a normal human being to become a werewolf, even for someone who wasn't a descendant of the Lockwood bloodline. There just had to be! How else could the werewolf curse have spread in the first place anyway? How could it have started in the very beginning if there wasn't a way?

At the same time he had to keep Tyler busy, spend time with him to make sure Jules didn't get a chance to contact him. If he was in the way all the time, maybe one day Jules would simply give up.

Being with Tyler was more difficult the closer the next full moon came. Day by day he seemed to get more troubled, quieter, less lively. Whenever Jeremy asked him what was wrong, Tyler would just reply with a troubled smile and assure him "Nothing". But Jeremy knew, of course, that he was scared of the approaching and inevitable transformation, the pain and the suffering it would bring again. So Jeremy would lay his hand on Tyler's shoulder and speak to him encouragingly. "This time, we'll go through it together." On this, Tyler simply nodded, but in his eyes Jeremy could see that Tyler didn't really believe that Jeremy would find a way to make his promise reality. And of course, he didn't know how to, for real, but what he did know was that he would find a way.

It was Wednesday night, October 22th, only two days before the moon was full again, that the solution to becoming a werewolf stroke him like a flash of lightning. Suddenly it was there, right and bright before his eyes. _Once a person committed a sin so grave that they would pale when faced with the God of the Night, their blood would be cursed always and forevermore, forced to be passed on from generation to generation to all people who shared the same blood and the same impure soul._ This wasn't a warning. It was an instruction. _The same blood and the same impure soul._

Two requirements, two necessary conditions that had to be fulfilled, if one wanted to draw the curse to oneself. Of course, usually, all people had to care about was second requirement, because the same blood was being passed on naturally if they were a member of the Lockwood bloodline. For an ordinary human being, however, _both_ conditions had to be met. He thought about it carefully, but to him, it suddenly made so much sense.

He grabbed his phone and dialed Tyler's number. His voice was trembling of excitement. "I hope you're free tomorrow night."

* * *

"So, tell me what's so important," Tyler said the following night, when Jeremy came to his house, and opened the door. "You don't have to be that mysterious about it. Does it have something to do with tomorrow night?"

Jeremy just put his finger over his lips, pointing along the corridor, where Mrs. Lockwood was probably working in her study, the door ajar.

"Yeah, she's home," Tyler shrugged. "Hope you didn't expect too much of tonight."

"No, I've found something out," Jeremy whispered back. "I'll tell you upstairs." He slid out of his shoes and followed Tyler up the stairs and into his room. He closed the door.

"So?" Tyler asked, offering Jeremy to sit on his bed, while Tyler sat down on his desk chair. There was a look in Tyler's eyes that told Jeremy he wasn't in the mood for games.

Quietly, Jeremy told his friend what he had found out. When Tyler didn't react after he had finished, Jeremy reached into his pocket and pulled out a little plastic bag. Inside, there was a small syringe.

Tyler opened his eyes wide. "You're kidding!" he hissed, shaking his head.

"No, I guarantee you, it's gonna work," Jeremy defended his obvious plan. "All I need are a few drops of your cursed blood in my own system, and tomorrow night I'll be howling at the full moon right next to you."

"No, this is crazy!" Tyler stood up and started pacing around his room. "You're mad! Tell me you don't actually intent to inject yourself with my blood."

"Well," Jeremy tried to look composed, "if you don't believe that it's going to work, then what's wrong with giving it a shot, pun intended." He grinned encouragingly.

Tyler, however, was still looking back at him warily. "But you can't just transfer someone's blood to someone else. There are risks and who knows what it's gonna do, medical-wise."

"Well, there only are risks if you've got some kind of illness. Which I guess you don't have."

Tyler shook his head. "At least none that I know of. But still."

"Fine," Jeremy replied. "And it's not gonna change my DNA or something. The blood just gets recognized as a foreign substance and is broken down by the immune system over time." He looked at Tyler intensely, telling him _this is the right way, I know what I'm doing_. "It doesn't matter if your blood will be gone again after a week. The thing that matters is that it's in my system on the full moon night, then the requirements for the transformation will be fulfilled. It doesn't matter if it's permanent or not. Once invoked, always invoked. The book I read was clear about that."

Tyler sat down again, and sighed. "Jeremy, seriously. I don't know."

"Please," Jeremy insisted. "At least let me try it. It's the way I want it. There's no risk in it for you."

The other boy glanced at the syringe. "And that?"

"That's just an ordinary syringe. I used to have millions of them, back when I was… well, you know." He shrugged. "But don't worry, I'm clean and this one's sealed and brand new." He stood up and came towards Tyler, touching his shoulder with his right hand. There was this look in Jeremy's eyes, the irresistible puppy look. "Please."

Tyler looked back at him. For a minute he just wished he could stay like this, without having to make a decision. Just stand here with Jeremy's eyes on his and the warmth of his touch against his shoulder. But that was a daydream, not reality. Tyler snorted and shook his head. "First I need a drink," he hissed, turned away from Jeremy and left the room for the stairs.

Jeremy yelled after him, "that is a _yes_, right?"

* * *

Tyler rushed down the stairs to the kitchen. His mind felt completely blank. There was only one question: had he somehow pushed Jeremy to do something like that? Was it his fault that he was so obsessed with becoming a werewolf?

He grabbed two glasses and a bottle of vodka, no, two bottles. He might need them. Then he went back up the stairs.

To his surprise, he unexpectedly caught Jeremy closing the door to his father's study. "Huh?" he said with a frown. "What were you doing in there?"

"Nothing," Jeremy immediately replied with apparent honesty. "I was just looking for the bathroom." He snorted. "Sorry, there're so many doors up here, I'll never get it."

"That one," Tyler replied, still a bit wary, but when Jeremy thanked him and went over to said door, he wrote it off and went back to his room.

A short while after, Jeremy returned as well and shut the door. Tyler had already filled their glasses.

Jeremy sat down at the table, opposite Tyler.

Tyler downed the entire glass in one. "Alright," he said, rolling up his sleeve and putting his arm on the table. "Help yourself."

Jeremy looked into his eyes while he removed the syringe's plastic cover blindly. His look was so determined, so fearless, that Jeremy himself started to feel like a hesitant coward just by the intensity of his glance. Those dark eyes, fixed on him challengingly…

Jeremy looked away while he stuck the needle through Tyler's skin. The other boy didn't wince in the slightest. Instead he kept his eyes fixed on Jeremy.

Jeremy's eyes flickered. Dark red blood gushed into the barrel, slowly but steady. He could feel the vacuum of the plunger as he drew up more and more liquid. Then he met Tyler's eyes again. They captured him, hypnotized him, made him feel small and weak. He wanted to be near him and that made him want all of this even more. This would tear down the final wall that was keeping them apart. Because it was the full moon that made Tyler feel this way, not Jeremy's eyes. He knew that, but still, he couldn't stop gazing. Just a few drops would make him shine brighter than the full moon ever could.

"No, let me do it," Tyler suddenly said and Jeremy blinked. He held down Jeremy's hand with his left hand and took the syringe from him with his other one. Jeremy hadn't even noticed that it was already filled to the brim.

"Okay," he whispered, and this time, it was him who couldn't turn his eyes away. His heartbeat sped up, he couldn't help it. A few drops might seal his destiny.

Tyler was very careful putting the needle into the crook of Jeremy's arm.

Jeremy inhaled. It was almost as if he could feel the werewolf blood rushing into his veins, a hot prickling sensation that seemed to spread along his arm and down his entire body. From now on, he would never be the same again. Before Tyler could pull the syringe out again, Jeremy covered his hand with his own. He looked him into the eyes with an earnest expression. "Thank you."

* * *

Later that night, Tyler was sitting on the sofa in front of the TV. There was a flamboyant chef preparing some vegetarian Spaghetti, but Tyler hadn't even noticed Criminal Minds had ended. His head was leaning on his right arm, his left arm wrapped around Jeremy's chest, who was lying on the sofa next to him, leaning against Tyler's side and playing on his PSP. The mechanic sound of the handheld mixed with the pseudo-italian voice of the cook. A surreal background noise, reaching only partly through to Tyler's mind.

It must have been minutes since the last time he blinked. Oh God, he felt so exhausted! Not tired, just empty somehow, burnt-out. He was so sick of all these choices, of constantly worrying if this or that had been the right decision or not, always considering consequences and risks.

He was sick of all that. To be honest, he didn't want to think about the consequences that Jeremy's decision might have. Was he letting this boy ruin his life blindly? Wasn't it his responsibility to stop Jeremy before it was too late? He, of all people, should warn him about the grave and painful consequences the curse harbored for the cursed ones. He of all people should be the one to talk sense into Jeremy.

Invoking the curse had been his mistake and he was paying for it so dearly. A wrong decision, a stupidity, done out of a whim. It would stay with him for the rest of his life.

Now, he had the chance to stop Jeremy from repeating his mistake, he had the chance to make him turn around and walk away, and live his life in peace and happiness.

He should stop him, for Jeremy's sake. He should stop him, if he loved him!

He should, but he couldn't. Because at the bottom of his heart, he was wishing for this so badly.

* * *

Twenty five hours later, the full moon had risen up on the starlit sky. A cold night, frost covering the leaves of the trees.

Down in the secret complex of the old, abandoned Lockwood estate ruins, Tyler and Jeremy were cowering somewhere in the darkness, their heads both lowered in silence, waiting, holding out. A cold breeze came down the ramshackle stairs that led to the woods and made them both shiver. It could happen any moment now. Just a few seconds left, and the full moon would have reached its zenith.

The only thing that was easing the anxiousness a little bit was the touch of each other's hands they held so tightly.

"Tyler," Jeremy said, almost whispering, "whatever happens, please… I'm just trying-"

Before Jeremy could finish, Tyler felt a sudden pain tightening his chest. "It's starting!" he gasped, squirming on his knees. The pain was there immediately, as if being turned on by a light switch. He coughed, struggling for air, when he felt the first bones break. It was as painful as the first time, but still, this time he knew what to except. The pain at his neck, at his spine was actually the worst, he bit his lips, suppressing a scream. Then he looked up at Jeremy.

Jeremy was standing right in front of him, looking down at his suffering friend, calm, quiet and… fine. He was fine.

Tyler couldn't understand. Jeremy wasn't turning! Their plan hadn't worked! He should have known, but still, Jeremy had made him believe… Now he had to go through this pain once again all by himself, and that sudden realization made him gasp in agony. It was a curse! And tonight it would be him, once again, paining the price! "Jeremy…," he hissed, struggling to focus, reaching for his friend. "Jeremy… It didn't work…"

"I know," Jeremy suddenly replied with a whisper. He seemed so strange, so unexpectedly collected, taking a step back away from Tyler.

Tyler's vision started to blur, he realized something was odd, something was wrong! But apparently Jeremy wasn't surprised. He knew. He had known all along.

"It wasn't supposed to work from the very beginning – not yet," Jeremy said, appearing as nothing more than a blurred shadow to Tyler. He had trouble catching his words. Wait, was that a gun in Jeremy's hands? A metallic, dark object, glittering in the faint moonlight.

A scene crossed Tyler's shaken mind. _What were you doing in there? – Just looking for the bathroom._

"Jeremy…" Tyler moaned, his face all tense. "What is this about…?"

"The blood from the cursed bloodline is just one of _two_ requirements for triggering the werewolf curse, you know that!" Jeremy's voice sounded pleading, troubled. "The other one…" The grip around the gun tightened. "I'm sorry. It needs to be done in order to invoke the curse. Just like you had to before me."

Tyler stared at the gun in Jeremy's hands. "Don't do this, Jeremy… You wouldn't want to live with it!"

"I'm sorry, Tyler. I've considered this thoroughly."

"Why didn't you tell me… that you were planning this all along!"

"Because you would have tried to keep me from doing it."

"Very right, I would have!" Tyler roared at him, his body and his mind already mixing with the one of a furious animal. His voice was fearsome, deep and full. "Jeremy!" It was an order, a threat. "I would have never done it myself if it hadn't been for that ring you have! Killing another person is going to make you miserable for the rest of your life!"

"No, I think, it might be the opposite." A flicker in his eyes. "Just don't hate me," Jeremy replied quietly, his head lowered. The beast was raging, but he was entirely calm.

"You will stay here!" the creature screamed, his growl pulsating throughout the cellar. "Jeremy! If you walk out of that door, I will never forgive you!"

Jeremy looked at him one last time, knowing, regretting, but also determined. "I'm sorry, Tyler. But this is the path I chose. A long time ago, before I even knew. On a special night with a special person." A fond smile curved his lips for a second, then he tightened his grip around the gun and turned away.

The beast raged in despair and pain. Jeremy closed the door behind him and walked outside into the bright moonlight.

* * *

**To be continued…**


	10. Us, Servants to the Moon

**Us, Servants to the Moon – Chapter 10**

**Author's Note:** So this is the final chapter of the Servants to the Moon story! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you will enjoy the ending :)

* * *

Thunder resounded throughout the halls of the ruins when Jeremy barred the entrance. Under no circumstances should the wolf be able to leave its prison. Not this time.

He had stuck the gun into his waistband, but took it out again as soon as he had made sure the door would withstand any force from the inside.

The gun's metal started shimmering in the moonlight as Jeremy hurried through the woods. Even though he was not a werewolf yet, he could feel the Lockwood blood in his veins pulsating.

Tonight, everything would change.

The place where he had to go was entirely clear to him. He had hurried along that very path a thousand times inside his mind. Now it was different, though. Now his hands were trembling, his legs faltering from time to time. Now, the night was cold around him, the moonlight chasing him with icy beams, while on the inside he was burning – boiling blood pumped through his body by a wavering heart. He was breathing fire.

The gun was burning, too, getting heavier and heavier with every step he took. It felt unfamiliar, even wrong in his hands. But he knew it was the same gun that Tyler had clutched when they had started something new, and now, he would do the same using it – he would set something _right_.

Someone grabbed his shoulder and he spun round, brandishing the gun. The assault had happened so fast. Now thinking time was over. His fingers twitched around the trigger.

"Jeremy!"

The scare's haziness was gone and he could see clearly again. His sister Elena was staring at him, horror in her eyes. He could hear his own blood pounding in his ears.

"Elena!" he hissed, quickly maneuvering the barrel away from her. He bit his tongue at the thought he could have shot her if she had been just one single step closer. He could have killed the person he did and always would love most in this world – his own sister. That thought paralyzed him for a moment.

"Jeremy!" Elena was staring at him with wild eyes. "What are you doing?!" Her voice broke, her face red and damp, as if she had been outside in the rain. "_What_?!"

"What are _you_ doing here?" He was so angry at her, he wanted to grab her arm and shake her. "Do you know what night it is? And do you remember what happened on that very night last month? The month before that? People were attacked and one of them was even killed. Are you mad being out here?!"

"Are _you_ mad being out here?" Elena was the one who did grab his arm. "I died of worry when I realized you weren't in your room." It was so much more than an accusation. It was the simple fact that she had checked on him against her usual behavior that frightened Jeremy.

"I don't remember promising anyone that I would be in my room." He felt so angry at her. She was ruining everything! This night was his only chance, but now he would have to give up on it to get her to safety. The pain it would cause Tyler killed him. But he prayed that he would understand. He just couldn't help it. "I'll take you home," he said and his voice was heavy with regret.

"I'll take _you_ home, Jeremy," Elena swallowed, her voice just as low as his. "Because whatever this is about, whatever you're planning with that _gun_… it's over."

Jeremy looked back at her, but for a moment he said nothing. "I'll take you home," he repeated.

Elena broke away and turned around to face him. "Is it because of Tyler?" The rising wind played with her long brown hair.

"Tyler?!" Jeremy made a sound as if it was an absurd idea. "What makes you think of _Tyler_?"

"Because I know about it, Jer," Elena replied, serious. Her face seemed petrified. "I know about you."

"About what?" The grin on Jeremy's face started to freeze. A shiver crawled up his spine and he felt himself blush, even though he fought so hard against it. "You're crazy. We have to get out of here."

"No, I've seen you. A month ago. Stefan, Damon and I, we caught Tyler in his werewolf form and locked him up in the cellar. You were there with him."

Jeremy felt the heat in his cheeks. He knew what she was talking about. He had been shattered that night, and when he'd assumed that Elena and the vampire brothers had left, he had taken Tyler's head on his lap and stroked the unconscious boy's hair. It had been a gesture of affection, of guilt and regret and so many other things, and now it was becoming his doom. He would be okay with anyone on this planet knowing – anyone! But not Elena. Of all people, not her. He felt so embarrassed.

"It's okay," Elena said, touching her brother's arms. "Calm down." She could see how shaken he was about learning she knew.

He looked up at her. "And what do you think of me now?" he asked, scared of what she might reply. He realized that he even _wished_ for her to despise him. Then, at least, he wouldn't have to face the fact that she might accept it and go on living with him as if nothing had changed, even though he would always keep suspecting something _had_. In every little thing she'd do, every little thing she'd say, he would see or hear something disparaging.

"Stop it," Elena said with an honest face. "All I want is for you to be safe, so let's go home. It's suicide to be out here. Let's go to the car."

"Can't…" Jeremy whispered, suddenly surprised to feel that her knowing didn't break his determination. No, it was the other way around. Her knowing _relit_ his determination.

"What?" Elena stared at him. "Please, Jeremy… People died around here. We have to go…" She grabbed his arm and tried to drag him with her, but he didn't move.

"I'm sorry, I can't," he insisted. "You have to go without me."

"Why not?" Elena begged him. "Is it because of Tyler?"

Jeremy closed his eyes and hissed the word through his teeth. "_Yes_."

"Oh, Jeremy…" she shook her head and came towards him as if to put her arms around him when suddenly the full moon took its toll.

Elena screamed when she stumbled past him. At first, Jeremy couldn't understand what had happened, then he saw the shadow at her back, the giant black creature whose fur shimmered in the moonlight. He could see the sharp teeth glistening and Elena's blood mixing with the tearing sound of her scream.

He wasn't thinking anymore when he grabbed the creature with bare hands, pushing it away as far as he could.

The creature spun round, the eerie moonlight illuminating its face. It was a werewolf. It was Jules. He stopped breathing. It was the most disturbing sight he had ever seen as it looked back at him with glistening eyes. Jules was _in transition_. Already far from being human, but not yet a beast.

He was so distraught at that sight that he dropped the gun to the ground. He was paralyzed.

The creature came running towards him, jaws – no, _mouth_ – opened wide, fangs still dripping with his sister's blood. It tore him to ground and he grabbed its head to keep the raging monster away from him. It was strong, he struggled with his arms trembling.

Elena stumbled on her feet, her hand pressed on her bleeding shoulder. _Jeremy_, was all she could think about. She spun round, her eyes wide open in panic. There had to be something, anything she could use as a weapon… _Jeremy…_

Jeremy's arms gave in. The monster growled, fangs snapping for his neck. He rolled away.

At that moment, a mighty tree branch hit the creature against its side, tossing it away from him. He looked up and for one second he met Elena's eyes, full of terror, as she held onto the branch.

Then the creature whirled back at her, just one blow against her head and she fell to the ground.

Jeremy grabbed the gun and got back on his feet. He was panting heavily. "I was looking for you," he said. "And there you are."

"You don't seem too happy about it." To his horror, the creature was still able to speak as if it was human. The voice, a mixture of Jules' soft tone and the growl of a beast, sent shivers down his spine. He trembled, but his grip around the gun was firm.

"You're so eager for blood, you can't even wait until the transformation is complete… You don't even feel pain anymore…" He held his breath when he realized the meaning of this. "Oh, God, now I get it! How could I be so blind? The pain isn't the curse's punishment… It's the reminder of your human soul. Geez, I was such an idiot. The pain is necessary. Not feeling any pain is the deviancy."

"Doesn't matter anymore. Even Tyler can't escape this fate," the creature was grinning, the mixture of human and beast making this a creepy gesture. "One day he'll lose the pain and people will start to die again. One victim each month."

"So it was you, after all!" Jeremy hissed, his eyes forcefully narrowed. "How could you? She was just an innocent girl, like the one you killed before her and God knows how many more!"

"It's the way of the werewolves, Jeremy," Jules replied. She seemed so calm, almost content with herself. There was pity in her voice, pity for a stupid boy who couldn't understand. "That's just the way we are. Controlled by moon, drawn to it. We serve the moon. It's our nature."

Jeremy felt his hands tense. He hated himself for bringing that woman back, he hated himself for causing Zelda's misery. And now she would take Tyler away from him, too, just as he himself had begged her to. She would take him and turn him into a mirror image of herself… a monster. "No," Jeremy said, "I was wrong. Tyler isn't like you and he'll never be. He'll be with me and that makes you nothing but a threat."

Jules snorted, the disdain in her eyes becoming even more blatant than before. "Silly boy, you still haven't got it? You can never be there for Tyler the way I can. A werewolf – as you should know by now – needs another werewolf." He noticed her transformation continuing. Now, she had almost entirely become a wolf.

He could see the uncertainty in her eyes, just a second, as his lips twitched with a smile of superiority. But as soon as she realized, it was already too late. "That's exactly my point."

It was for Zelda, for all the other victims. It was for his own conscience. And moreover – it was for Tyler.

The forest became quiet again, after the shot had faded away.

Jeremy fell to the ground, right next to the beast's bleeding body – the light of the moon shining down on him.

He looked at it and all he could see was an animal.

Then he could feel it. A prickle that grew into a burning heat. He wanted to get away from the moonlight and started to crawl towards the trees, towards the leaves that could cover him, when a massive force took control over his soul. There was something there, awakening, inside him, making his blood glow and boil with fire. He screamed, but his voice didn't seem to obey his will anymore. He struggled on the ground, his moan a demonic growl resounding throughout the woods. He realized he was crying, as his bones were crushed by the merciless force of the curse.

Then he lay still all of a sudden, the soft soil cool underneath his body. The moonlight didn't hurt him anymore.

* * *

Blood dripped to the ground as the wolf threw his weight against the bars once again. The metal creaked and clattered, the noise mixing with the wolf's growls and barks into an eerie sound that could be heard throughout the nightly woods. The wolf kept attacking the door, claws and fangs snapping at the bars again and again, thick red blood running down the metal and to the ground.

Something had made him furious, more than there already was in a werewolf's nature, something that had carried over from his human form to his wolfish conscience. He couldn't remember what exactly it had been, but the feeling of rage and fury made him go wild.

Suddenly, the metal cracked and the door swung open. The wolf was free – once again – and no chains could hold him back. He jumped up the stairs and bright moonlight fell on his brown fur. The fury drove him further, but there was also something else, like an invisibly glowing path right before his eyes, a path that drew him farther into the woods, straight towards a destination he couldn't remember, but he knew that being there meant the world.

All of a sudden, however, a feeling made him freeze. His ears twitched as he listened into the cool night air. He eyed his surroundings with wary alertness, then he picked up a scent that he didn't know. He had smelled something like it once before, but never again since that moment. It smelled almost like himself. It was the scent of another wolf.

He felt the soil vibrating underneath his paws and he looked up.

And there he was – a wolf, just like him, with gray fur reflecting the moonlight, looking back at him.

The brown wolf's breathing calmed. As soon as he saw his own kind, the rage that had dominated him died away. It almost seemed as if an occurrence like this was all he had been waiting for.

He stood there and waited as the gray wolf came closer. His eyes, however, stayed wary and didn't leave the other beast for a second. He was ready to run, ready to attack should anything happen. But the other wolf didn't seem hostile. There was more about him – something like a feeling of familiarity, as if they were members of the same pack. The gray wolf stopped in safe distance and smelled him. He did the same, taking up the other's scent with small, even breaths. Then, after a while, he decided that his smell was okay. He didn't seem to pose a threat. More than that, he almost seemed like a friend.

Apparently, the other wolf came to similar conclusion, because he suddenly started playfully jumping around, as if he was actually happy to see another wolf that felt so much like him.

The brown wolf joined in on what seemed like a happy dance, as they began running around each other, whimpering friendly.

The gray wolf then headed deeper into the woods, the brown one following him as if they were merrily playing tag. They were two souls that had found each other.

For the first time his mind wasn't clouded by this oppressing feeling of rage and hatred, and he was able to experience his surroundings in a way he'd never done before. He ran as if he was a part of the wind itself, his paws merely touching the ground, a lightness he'd never known before. His surroundings seemed alien and unnatural, still it was nature he had returned to. His vision was as sharp as his mind. The speed made trees, rocks, bushes look like bizarre threats; animals, hidden somewhere in the undergrowth, crunching, sniffling, rustling – all those little noises suddenly seemed so close, so loud, so attractive. He was part of something bigger, something alive – a wolf having returned to the place he truly belonged.

The chase led them over underbrush and under brambles – no matter where they were, each other's presence always seemed like a beacon light in the blackness of the forest. Their way led them up to a sharp rock, and then there they were, above the treetops, all bathed in the full moon's salvific, shimmering light.

They both stopped and stood there for a while, until the howling of wolves could be heard resounding from the woods.

* * *

The sunbeams started to light the world, a different world than before.

Jeremy and Tyler were lying somewhere on a meadow, dew droplets on the grass blades waving in the breeze around them. The sky was painted in pastel shades.

Jeremy reached for Tyler's hand and held it firmly. Then he turned his head to the side, gazing into the other's eyes. His amazing, deep, human eyes.

"Jeremy," Tyler whispered after a while.

"What is it?" Jeremy whispered back. "Didn't you like it?"

Tyler sighed helplessly. "How could I not like it?" There was a bittersweet smile on his face. "It was the most amazing thing I've ever experienced. And it was because of you. It was because I wasn't on my own."

Jeremy blinked and smiled.

Tyler, however, looked sad, his face suddenly so worried, it made Jeremy's heart hurt. "I might just not like what you had to do for it. What you chose to sacrifice for this. What you had to become for this."

"I've done nothing that I regret," Jeremy assured him. "What I killed to invoke the curse – it hadn't even been human anymore."

"Jules?" Tyler looked into his eyes. He could see that he was right. "She was the one who could have taught us how to stay human."

"There was nothing she could have taught us, Tyler," Jeremy touched his cheek. "Throughout all those years she had lost her humanity and she had become a monster herself. She would have turned us into her kind. But," he sat up to look down at him, "now it's up to us. It's you and me now. We're with each other and we can stay human together. We don't have to be servants to the moon. We can overcome it, we can conquer it. We can become strong together, so that you can protect your mother and I can protect my sister. We can protect each other and stay human at our hearts."

Tyler touched Jeremy's cheek with his fingers. He wanted to believe. And he knew that somehow, at this moment, at this sunrise – but also way back on a cold night that seemed like a lifetime ago –, he had become enchanted by this person.

* * *

Five months have passed since that day, Jeremy keeps telling himself, even though, right now, it already seems like forever. He looks up at bright light of the moon, so large and perfect and almost full – a deep orange tonight, like a glowing golden coin up in the sky –, and thinks back to that night, and he realizes that he likes the kind of person he's become on that very moment. He likes every part of himself, the part that has fallen in love with a boy as well as the part that's objectively not human anymore. In fact, those two are some of the best things in his life. He smiles at the moon and concludes he is at peace.

He hears Tyler climbing up the stairs, but doesn't turn around. He just waits, until Tyler sits down on the window ledge next to him, letting his legs dangle down.

"You're already home," Tyler says, not without surprise.

"I've been waiting for you," Jeremy replies with fondness in his smile.

An abandoned hunters' hut has become their home for the past months, small, but offering everything they need. A small room downstairs with a table and a few chairs and an oven that keeps them warm. A creaky ladder that leads up to a second room, with a bed right under a large window. They've promised to stay here until they can control it. Until they're strong enough to turn the curse into a blessing that would protect the ones they love and also each other. And Jeremy knows this time is not far away anymore. Soon he will be able to reply to Elena's texts with a _Yes, I'll see you soon_.

Tyler just knows what Jeremy is thinking about and agrees with a smile. "I can't wait to see them all again. Maybe in a few weeks… we'll be ready to return home." He then nods at Jeremy's arm. "How's the injury?"

"Fine," Jeremy replies and puts a hand over the bandage wrapped around his left wrist. "It's healed up pretty well. And at least, I've learned my lesson. I'm gonna keep away from everything that looks like a trap." On the last full moon, Jeremy has accidentally got stuck in a hunter's trap that had been put down on the ground. Fortunately, the mechanism had been broken, so his injury isn't grave.

It's not the only injury they've received during the past full moon nights, not the only pain they've had to suffer through. But all of this has helped them to learn, to grow. Now, they're almost fully able to stay conscious during the transformation, to keep their human memories and their human identities. The pain, however, will never go away. They know that and they accept it. That's why they're not trying to suppress it. They're trying to embrace it. And as they say, a sorrow shared is a sorrow halved.

Tyler sighs quietly as he looks up to the moon.

"It's so beautiful, don't you think?" Jeremy says after a few minutes. "So bright... So intoxicating... All those years I've never looked at it like that before. But it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. So perfect. I know I could spend my entire life just gazing at it and I would not be missing a thing."

Tyler grins as he puts his arm around Jeremy's shoulder. "I never thought that anyone would ever understand the way I feel." He keeps his eyes on the moon. "I know it's a wrong thing to say, because of everything we lost and the stupid mistakes we made – but I'm glad that all of it led us here, to this place and this moment – together."

Jeremy lays his head against Tyler's. "You know," he says after a while with a smile on his face, while stretching his arms. "The only thing I miss around here sometimes is that fireplace at your house. I really liked that." He winks.

Tyler grins at that. "Oh yeah, I remember you did. But honestly," he smirks and puts his fingers on Jeremy's chin, "we don't need no fireplace no more, do we?" He kisses him and they fall back from the ledge to the bed standing underneath it.

Far up in the starlit sky a radiant moon sends its light down to Earth. It's not our master anymore – it is our friend.

* * *

**THE END**


End file.
